Love's Weird Like That
by Lahdolphin
Summary: If you like someone there are certain things you shouldn't do. Like forgetting them in the shower and making out with your ex who has a new boyfriend. So what does Atobe do during bonding camp? Just that.
1. IMPORTANT

**This story has been re-written.**

It's _kick ass._

And it's **totally different** – it's new name is **The Love Bug**

Trust me, it's gonna rock your socks.

Go check it out.

:)

- Dolphin


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I do not own the characters and I am in no way profiting from writing this (besides my own personal entertainment). **

**Warning: This story contains yaoi and depending on what people see as T this story might need to be changed to M. There is no actually sex, but it is heavily implied in some situations.  
**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

Atobe Keigo was as calm as ever, on the outside, as he walked through the halls towards the tennis locker room, towards his precious tennis club. Despite what people think when they first meet Atobe, he actually does have a heart and cares for his team deeply. He wouldn't go as far as Rikkai Dai and call his teammates his family, but if one of them came and asked him for help he would consider it. He wouldn't always say yes, but he would ponder if he could benefit from helping him. That's the bad side to Atobe, and most people see that side, his selfish, black soul that only gains happiness from money.

He sighed as he turned the knob to the locker room. It was a rough day, he had to turn down another girl. He figured that if a young woman sent him a confession letter and poured her heart and soul into said letter then he should at least let her down in person. Another thing that most people assume about him is that he loves to flirt and talk to the ladies. He does, but he doesn't like them like that. Actually, he never thought of anybody like that.

"Atobe!"

The captain turned to see a certain blonde bouncing towards Atobe (he must have just woken up from a nap because he had dried drool on his cheek). That little fact never failed to amuse Atobe's mouth into a small smile. Then, coming around a row of lockers, was Kabaji. Atobe always liked Kabaji, but never like that. He just liked that he was different from all the other members on the team. Shishido, Mukahi, and Jirou (when he's perked up) were always talking and you could never seem to have a serious conversation with them. But if Atobe wanted a serious conversation he could always talk to Oshitai and Hiyoshi, but the problem was that the two only seemed interested in themselves and not others. Kabaji actually listened to Atobe, and Atobe would listen to him.

"Yes, Jirou?" Atobe asked as he walked up to his locker and spun the combination.

The blonde slide to a stop by his captain's locker and jumped with energy, literally. "Sakaki-sensei wants to meet you in his office."

Atobe froze in his tracks. Sakaki always just came to talk to him in person, besides, just why was Jirou so excited about that?

"Is there something else?"

Jirou nodded. "Marui is outside! All of Rikkai Dai is outside!"

Atobe groaned mentally, he knew Sakaki wanting to talk probably meant he needed money (other teams randomly appearing meant Sakaki needed Atobe for his money, again). Many think that Atobe is constantly praised for being captain and many believe that all of that praise is given by Hyotei's coach, but that isn't even close to the truth. Truth behold, Atobe is constantly being scolded at for the smallest imperfections. In all actuality, Atobe is only the coach because of his social standing and popularity that is drawn into the tennis club.

"Why is Rikkai Dai here?" Oshitari asked as he walked over to the three boys.

Jirou shrugged. "I don't know! But Fuji and Seigaku is here, too!"

"Seigaku?" Mukahi asked, he too had heard their conversation but wasn't interested until well… now. "Does that mean Kikumaru is here?"

Jirou nodded and everybody looked at Mukahi who, oddly enough, didn't sprint out of the room right there and challenge his rival. Atobe didn't seem to notice the magenta haired boy's inner conflict to leave practice or stay here and work his butt off like the rest of them.

"Well then, Jirou, tell Sakaki-sensei that I'll be there in a moment."

Jirou shook his head and stopped Atobe from pulling his shirt up over his head. "He said to meet you in there now."

Atobe sighed and pulled his shirt back down. He grabbed his blazer and quickly buttoned it back up. He nodded to his team and walked through the opening they created. He never cared for his coach, and probably never will. Mostly because their personalities clash, they're both demanding, selfish people and well, we all know that both of them can't have everything their way. And to Atobe that means that he loses every day he steps onto Hyotei's courts.

He knocked and heard a faint "come in" from the other side so he opened the door. "You wished to see me?"

Sakaki didn't even look up from his paper work as he pointed to a large leather chair in front of his desk. The captain waited patiently for what seemed like forever until his coach stopped writing and looked at him with that regular, emotionless, stern face.

"I would like for you to allow Seigaku, Rikkai Dai, and our own team to use one of your cabins for a bonding exercises."

Atobe raised an eyebrow. Sakaki had never asked before, he would just tell Atobe when they were leaving and assume that he could whip up a cabin out of nowhere. It was actually rather hard for Atobe to convince his father at times because the man saw tennis as nothing more than nonsense despite how much he loved the sport.

"May I ask what sort of exercises and whose idea it was to hold said exercises?"

Atobe watched the music teacher fold his arms and swirl in his chair to look out the window behind him. "Ryuzaki is rather upset with me at the moment."

"Why?"

Sakaki turned and looked the boy square in the eye. "Remember your place, Atobe. I am your coach and you are only captain because I can use your father's money to sort out problems with this team. If I had been in my right mind I would have chosen Oshitari, and I regret choosing you every day of this awful job!"

Atobe nodded. "Sorry sir," he mumbled as he eyes shot to the floor. Sakaki was the only man with the ability to fluster Atobe, and he wasn't happy about that. But it's not as if Atobe could just stand up to him, tennis was the only thing that got him away from home, away from his father's strict life style.

"Well," Sakaki looked at him up and down before turning his chair once again, "I will forgive you this one last time. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, Ryuzaki is rather upset with me at the moment and she suggested that we arrange a camp for our regulars, and sadly that includes you. It seems the tension between our schools, as well as Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, has escalated since their win at _Nationals_."

Atobe hated the way he said "Nationals." When they had returned to Hyotei it was living hell for Atobe. He had to run laps non-stop for losing to a first year while everyone else who lost merely picked up balls for a week before getting extra help to force them to reach the next level. Atobe hated the way his, no, Sakaki's team was run, but he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"So, I gladly accepted her offer because it's a good thing to have pleasant relationships with enemies. As I always say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. Anyways, as a result of me agreeing I am in need of a cabin. I'm sure you can arrange this with your… _connections_."

Atobe nodded and pulled out his cell phone from his blazer's breast pocket. "Where would you like this cabin to be? Near the beach, the mountains, _out of the country_?"

"Watch your tone boy!" Sakaki waited a minute and after assuming that Atobe wouldn't act out of his place again he answered his question. "I would prefer one in the mountains, something secluded, but it must be close enough so that I can reach you if I will need you."

_You mean if you need my money_, Atobe thought.

"I will make the necessary arrangements, please give me a moment." Sakaki nodded and Atobe quickly exited the room. He hit one of his many speed dials, this particular one being 666.

"_Keigo? Where are you? You said you would skip that foolish tennis practice and come to a merger meeting!"_

Atobe hated hearing his father's voice; it rang through his head like a mother lion's desperate cry after losing her only cub to the cruel desert sun.

"Father, I'm sorry, but Sakaki-sensei has asked another favor of me."

"_Favor? Favor?! If you help him so much why don't you ask him for your private, nonsense, tennis lessons? I'm sure your precious coach would be glad to help!"_

Click.

Atobe sighed and snapped his phone shut and struggled not to throw it across the room into the wall. If he called again then he would most likely need to quit tennis, but he had no other options, he didn't want to disturb his mother. He passed on the floor and rubbed his temples for a minute before opening his phone again and scrolling through his long list of contacts. His finger hesitated before hitting call.

"_Keigo?"_

"Yes, auntie."

"_Keigo! How are you? I haven't seen or heard from you since, oh my, how long as it been?"_

Atobe smiled, he loved talking to his aunt. Atobe's father was born into money, but not much. He turned what he had into a mammoth fortune, but he had only taken half of his parent's money, the other half belonged to his sister. She reminded him that his father wasn't born evil, it reminded him that money will make you turn heartless, and it reminded him of what he was becoming.

"Too long, auntie, too long. Listen, the reason I'm calling is because… well… I need a favor from you."

There was a pause.

"Hello?"

"_Sorry, I'm here with your mother is all!" _Atobe froze and didn't breathe for a second. _"Do you want to talk to her?"_

"No!" Atobe practically yelled at the top of his lungs. Some of the boys in the club room looked at him, and he made a mental note to make sure they didn't hear anything.

"_Oh, I'm sorry, I guess you're still not okay with her condition. I didn't know. I'm sorry. So, what do you need, Keigo?"_

"Do you remember that cabin that belonged to grandmother, the one up in the mountains?"

"_Sure I do! How could I forget holidays we spent up there shooting off fireworks by the lake? Do you need to borrow it?"_

"Yes, but there's another rather large favor I need to ask of you."

He heard her laugh. _"Oh, don't worry baby! I won't tell your father! I know how my brother can be sometimes, I did grow up with him after all. I'll tell the man on duty up there to prepare for your arrival, how many are coming this time? Just you and your friends? Or perhaps a girl, you never bring home any fine ladies like most boys your age."_

"Actually, it's my team and two other teams, and I'm sorry for not bringing home any fine ladies. The truth is that Sakaki-sensei wants us to bond is all. The total number of _boys_ is twenty five. Does the cabin hold that many? I can't recall. I haven't been up there since I was… seven I believe."

"_Hm… well, I suppose I could ask them to put in a few bunk beds. Is there anything else?"_

"No, but thank you, for everything."

"_No problem baby_." Atobe could almost see her wrinkled grin, she was older than her father by ten years, and hadn't aged as gracefully as she had wished, but Atobe thought she was a beautiful, strong woman, and wished girls his age were more like her. _"Just promise me one thing."_

"What, auntie?"

"_If your father or that coach of yours ever causes you any trouble, or if you ever just want to talk to someone, please call me or your mother; we both miss you so much."_

"I promise to call more often, how's that sound?"

"_Great! Good-bye, Keigo, I love you with all my heart."_

"Bye."

Atobe opened the door to Sakaki's office and walked back inside, ready to face Satan himself. The regulars, who were hiding behind lockers so they could listen in on the whole conversation, were speechless. Their captain had just shown a side they had never seen before, and it was a different kind of good to some of them, but to a few they didn't know whether this new side was a sign that maybe Atobe will change for the better or if he would change for the worse.

* * *

**A/N: This is mostly based on romance and ****subtle**** humor (NOT CRACK!). HOWEVER, unlike my usual style of writing, this will have semi-decent grammar, correct spellings, a plot with plot twists, and actual relationship progression. It will contain yaoi (no sex) so please read at your own risk from here on out because there will be some scenes in here (I need practice with romance).  
**

**Constructive**** criticism is wanted!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I do not own the characters and I am in no way profiting from writing this (besides my own personal entertainment). **

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

A bus was quickly called after Sakaki and Atobe finished their "meeting" which was basically just more questions. Does the cabin have internet connection? Do you need to get your laptop? Are you going to continue to work on the stocks your father is investing in the school? And every other imaginable question that revolved around Sakaki's death grip on Atobe's throat.

The boys were used to being randomly shipped away to camps because Sakaki believes it is in the best interest of the students for them experience everyday life with other children of their own age group. That's what he told the other coaches and captains, but Atobe knew the music teacher just wanted to get rid of him so he could enjoy his fancy office and shove all of his work on a fifteen year old boy.

"Atobe," Oshitari said as he walked up from the back of the bus to Atobe who was sitting behind the driver. Kabaji was blankly staring out the window on Atobe's left; the two always sit next to each other on bus rides, mostly because Kabaji is the only one who knows where everything on his laptop is and if he needs to do something for Sakaki then Kabaji is the one to get whatever is needed from his laptop. Everyone in Hyotei knows that no one touches Atobe's laptop because if they did they probably wouldn't be able to move for a week.

"Hm?" Atobe never looked away from his laptop screen.

Oshitari was used to this, Atobe being busy that is. He always has something to do; preparing for high school entrance exams, student council business, tennis club business, and whatever stocks his father was forcing him to take over so he could prepare him for his inevitably future in the business world. Oshitari always wonders about how different their relationship would have been in Atobe just closed his laptop for five seconds and cared about the world around him. But it was not the time to dawdle on the past because they both knew it wouldn't work from the start.

"Everyone is on, their parents have been notified and they've begun to pack their necessities and belongings to be shipped tomorrow. Shall we depart?"

Atobe held up one finger and finished the new class room policy proposal he was working on before looking at Oshitari and nodding. He quickly went back to his laptop after telling the driver to, well, drive. Oshitari sighed as he made his way back to his seat.

"Hey, Yuushi."

The blue haired tensai looked to his left and smiled at the sight of a petit, red headed acrobat staring out the window next to him.

"Yes, Gakuto?"

"Do you still love him?"

Oshitari blinked and noticed that Mukahi hadn't even looked at him once since he said his name. "I'm sorry, love _who_?"

Mukahi turned and let out a heavy sigh. "You know who, Atobe. Do you still love him?"

"No, why would you think that?"

The red head turned and looked out the window for a second before pulling his knees into his chest. "You're always talking about him around me, you spend more time worrying if he's okay than you do me, and even when you're kissing me I swear I hear you say his name, not mine."

Oshitari thought about it for a second. Sure he talks about Atobe, but it's not as if he's saying how nice he looks with sweat glistening on his chest after tennis practice (he would never say that aloud). Even Mukahi would admit that Atobe is an attractive male no matter how you look at him.

"Listen, I only worry about Atobe because he's our captain and is working 24/7. I just don't want him to keel over before graduation because that means I'll need to do the paper work for picking next year's captain instead of spending time with you." Oshitari saw a Mukahi's thin lips twitch into a small smile. "And, the whole kissing thing, why would I say his name when I'm frenching the sexiest acrobat on the planet?"

Mukahi laughed and untucked his knees. "Okay, but from now on, please don't talk about Atobe as much, it'll make me feel a lot better."

Oshitari nodded. "Okay, Gakuto."

It was odd how Oshitari thought of Atobe when he said "Gakuto." Then he began to question himself. Had he always thought of Atobe or did Mukahi's words just twist his thoughts? He couldn't tell left from right anymore, but it's not like he could do anything even if he did still have feelings for Atobe because there was a red head who loves him sleeping on his shoulder.

Atobe checked the bottom right hand corner of his laptop, it was only eleven PM, and they had left at six. _The bus must have taken a detour or something_, Atobe thought as he shut down his laptop for the night_, because it shouldn't take this long_. Maybe they had stopped for gas and he hadn't noticed or perhaps a bridge was out. He simply couldn't recall.

"There was a flat tire, Atobe-san." Atobe broke out of his thoughts and looked at Kabaji who was still awake despite the fact that ever other breathing male on the bus was fast asleep (except the driver because they would probably all be dead if that happened). "You didn't notice when everyone else walked off."

"There was a flat tire?" Atobe wasn't questioning Kabaji, both boys knew that he was questioning his memory. He groaned, that _had happened_ about three hours ago and it had taken an hour and half.

"Why don't you go to sleep, Atobe-san? I'll wake you up when we arrive, it shouldn't be much longer." Atobe nodded and closed his eyes after thanking the boy, a rare gesture.

Atobe always thought how odd it was that Kabaji only said "usu" when they were in public. He believes that's the reason many think the boy is rather stupid, but in all reality Kabaji is actually fairly intelligent and he just has a weak personally so he simply can't make decisions for himself. Atobe still remembers when he first saw Kabaji.

It was in Europe, Atobe had just moved there, and he was walking down the streets with no idea where he was going. Then he saw him, Kabaji. He was seven at the time and Atobe had just turned nine. The boy was oddly tall, even back then, and that's what struck Atobe's eye. That, and the fact that he was Japanese, and he hadn't seen one Japanese boy even close to his age since he had stepped off the plane. Atobe walked up to the boy and realized he was holding a kitten, and then he realized that it appeared to be beaten up and rather badly at that. Atobe had asked him where he found it, and the boy merely said on the side of the road. That's when Atobe understood Kabaji's true nature. It isn't rude, or malicious like most people would assume at first glance. His true nature is kind, and caring, and that's why Atobe always trusted Kabaji because to Kabaji Atobe is just like that kitten; helpless and afraid without someone there to support them when they fall.

Atobe smirked as he woke from his dream. He looked around and noticed that is was Kabaji shaking him back and forth in a desperate attempt to wake him up.

"Un? Are we there?" Atobe asked as he sat up straighter and looked around. One or two people had woken up, but they were still in a daze as they stared out the windows like lifeless zombies.

"Almost, you can see the lights of the cabin." Kabaji pointed to the window and Atobe could see the lights of the cabin in his mind before he _actually_ saw them. He loved coming to visit his aunt in her summer home when he was a child; it was the only time away from home that he got besides piano lessons and private tutors.

"Just like I remember…" Atobe mumbled as he sat forward to get a better look. The two floor log cabin had lights shining through every window. Atobe could also make out the faint glimmer of the night sky's moon on the lake in the back. He couldn't wait to jump into the sheet of black velvet and watch the moon's reflection ripple, just the thought made his face light up like fire works on the 4th of July.

Kabaji looked at Atobe with a content face. He always knew that Atobe was a child at heart, and not a helpless kitten on the side of the road.

After another minute the bus roared to a stop and that left Atobe with the lovely job of somehow managing to wake everyone up. He sighed as he stood up, he honestly didn't know how to wake them up. Kabaji couldn't carry them all… could he? No, that's just wrong.

"We should just let them sleep." Atobe decided as he and Kabaji, as well as the other three or four wide awake tennis players, walked off the bus.

"Atobe," Sanada said in his usual flat tone.

The Hyotei captain turned around and noticed that Sanada was holding _his_ laptop. No one touches his laptop. He quickly snatched it from the boy's hands and continued to walk into the cabin.

Sanada furrowed his brow and looked at Yukimura. "Did I do something wrong?"

Yukimura giggled and shook his head. "No, no, I just think Atobe is trying to live up to something he can't is all. No one should do that."

"You did that, Yukimura."

Yukimura looked over to his best friend with a you-shouldn't-have-said-that expression and Sanada quickly shut his mouth and followed Atobe into the cabin.

The inside of the cabin was just like Atobe remembered, too. The walls were high and made of wood, but it still had a classy feel to it that made it different from regular cabins. A fireplace over took one side of the four walls and had a custom sofa circling around. There was, however, something that Atobe didn't remember. In the corner of the room by the door to the kitchen were three ping pong tables (AKA- table _tennis_ tables). Atobe watched the five boys who had followed him in with keen wolf eyes, their faces were just like his, and that scared Atobe to a point.

Was he becoming like everyone else? Wouldn't that just make his father more upset?

He sighed, he was getting a headache just thinking about this father at a time like this. The third year lead the boys to an equally memorizing upstairs. There was another fire place with (what appeared to be real) bear rug placed snuggly in front of its dim flame under several chairs. There were also a few things that Atobe didn't remember on this floor as well. A pool table that appeared to have just been refurnished, and a large TV surrounded by fluffy bean bag chairs were placed fashionably around the room.

"Atobe-san…" Kabaji mumbled from behind him. Atobe looked up at Kabaji was looking at the hallway to their left.

"Ah, yes!" Atobe turned to face the other boys and noticed the number had increased by another five or so. "Down this hall are six rooms. Three bedrooms are on the left, and two are on the right. The other door on the right, the second door, is the bathroom that we will be sharing during this trip. Please, chose one to your liking and remember that you are allowed to switch at any time so feel free to change if your heart desires."

Atobe stopped talking after that. He knew the others expected him to talk more because well, he usually does, but the words "heart desires" seemed to hit home to him. What does his heart desire most?

"Atooobe!" Jirou called as he dashed across the room and clung to Atobe's arm.

He blinked. "You're awake?" He didn't mean for it to sound like it was a bad thing, he just hadn't expected Jirou to wake up at night _ever_.

"Can we share are room? Me, you, Kabaji, and Hiyoshi! We need to haze Piyo-chan into his spot as captain!"

Then, a distant call was heard from the stairs, "Don't call me Piyo-chan, sempai!"

Atobe laughed, and that's when he knew what he wanted. He wanted to experience this, life.

He did laugh a bit longer, but stopped before everyone else. Jirou ran down the hall and opened the second door on the left (which is apparently their room now) and slammed it shut before Hiyoshi could strangle him after finally getting up the stairs.

"Should we go follow them and then get some sleep?" Atobe looked at Kabaji with a slight frown and the other boy nodded.

"Usu."

Atobe missed hearing that. Sure, he enjoyed talking with Kabaji and not hearing "usu" all the time, but he the boy said it it made Atobe fell important, like he was doing something right as captain. The two walked down the rather short hall in silence until they reached their room –the one Jirou took _hours _to pick. The walls were made of wood like the rest of the cabin and the lighting appeared to be old and faulty because Atobe spotted some candles on one of the two dressers in the room (one between each bed). Atobe flopped down onto the bed closet to the door after carefully setting his laptop onto his night stand. He looked straight ahead and realized that the beds faced each other and figured that was a good thing; his laptop's screen light wouldn't wake Hiyoshi or Jirou that way. Kabaji sat on the bed next to Atobe and did just that, sat there.

"Kabaji…" Atobe's voice was whispered slightly, but it was also slightly enraged. "You can sleep without me telling you to."

Kabaji nodded. "Usu."

Atobe rolled his eyes, a very un-Atobe like gesture, as he began to pull off his tops. Then he heard a muffled cry and looked at the beds across from him. Jirou had fallen asleep on Hiyoshi.

"Hiyoshi, be thankful you're on a bed. Please, try to get some sleep and wipe up any drool once you wake up."

All Atobe got was a sarcastic reply and a turned off light. He turned and looked at Kabaji, he was sleeping soundly already. (He had stayed up to hold Atobe's laptop on the bus after all.) Atobe made a mental note to get Kabaji another mystery book. Believe it or not the boy really enjoys them.

The captain quickly turned his and Kabaji's light off before grabbing his laptop and opening it back up. He waited a minute and the sound of the fan filled the silent room, but no one else heard it (maybe Hiyoshi did, but he would never tell his captain to anything, even something as silly as turning off his laptop). After a second he pulled up his email and noticed that Sakaki hadn't exactly sent him to camp with nothing to do.

---

_Atobe, in the attachment there is a list of exercises that Ryuzaki and I believe will benefit the team. Well, actually, she believes these will help the team. I say they are foolish and a waste of time, but she apparently believes they have some positive effect (Gods only knows what). Despite how childish they may seem please follow them and if anything should go wrong, which I suspect it won't, I will hold you responsible._

_-Sakaki_

_PS: Remember to work on the club's budget for the graduation party, I have an important date tomorrow and am unable to do so. _

---

"Unable to do so my ass…" Atobe mumbled as he closed he clicked on the attached folder. He blinked. Sakaki wanted him to do all of these as well as manage everything else? He held the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, quickly created an icon for the attachment, and moved it to his already cluttered desk top before opening several other folders.

_I can do this, I've done this before so why is now any different? In less than two months I'm out of this living hell. In less than two months, we'll_ _be free. _

His fingers danced across the keyboard and his eyes darted from documents to the tennis club's private economics page. The time of day never did bother Atobe when he was working. Work was work and it didn't matter when or how it got done as long as it did get done. He finally let out a long sigh and closed his laptop. At least now he could get some sleep. He puffed the pillow behind his back and slowly set his head down.

"Atobe-sama, the guests' belongings have arrived downstairs and you are needed in the kitchen!"

Somehow he knew that was coming.

He sat up and put on his best smile. "Coming!"

* * *

**A/N: No, this is not a Kabaji/Atobe fic! I just think their friendship should be deeper than just Atobe ordering him around. I know Atobe may seem OOC, but I just honestly think that there's more to him than an egotistical bastard.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I do not own the characters and I am in no way profiting from writing this (besides my own personal entertainment). **

**Note: You'll read something about Atobe going to sleep, see a * and then a big italicized section. That section is his dream and his dreams are his past. When you see another * it means he's going to wake up. **

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

"Atobe!"

"Atooobe!"

"Moron!"

"Monkey King!"

"Atobe."

"Nya, his hair grew back!"

Atobe ignored the combined calls from the boys who had been left on the bus, they were too loud an annoying to deal with at this time of day (not that Atobe would know it's 6am). The Hyotei captain scanned the crowd and noticed that everyone who had not come in last night was standing there with their bags.

"Upstairs, once you finish climbing the staircase behind me, to the left is a hallway. The three doors on the left are bedrooms, and the first and third door on the right are. The second door on the right is the bathroom. If a door is closed then that room is already full. You may change rooms at any time."

There was a wave of whispers and "hey, sleep with me"s that shot through the same mob of boys until _he_ had to speak up.

"Yes, Tezuka?" Atobe asked with his best tone. He was tired, but why wouldn't he be? He hasn't slept in two days because he's been running around like a drunken dolphin doing Sakaki's work.

"Ryuzaki-sensei said that you would be conducting bonding exercises," there was a collective groan, "and I was just wondering if I could help you plan those."

Atobe thought about it for a second. Did he want Tezuka's help? Sure, he would have less work, but if something went wrong Atobe will most likely lose any standing he had left with Sakaki. Atobe sighed before answering. It was Tezuka. Why did Tezuka have to ruin his day already? Then Atobe thought of the perfect solution, he just needed a perfect boy.

"If you wish, but please inform Yukimura that he must help as well. It's us three or just me." Tezuka nodded before he picked up his bag which was at his feet at making his way upstairs. If Yukimura helps, being Mr. Perfectionist, things will be more likely to work out. There's some logic behind it. Some.

Atobe watched the rest of the boys walk by him and once they were out of site he figured it would be okay if he sat down for just a minute. There was a loud thump and a drawn out sigh of relief as Atobe fell onto the leather sofa in front of the fireplace.

*

_Atobe had just arrived home school when he heard her scream. He thought nothing of it, she was a clumsy woman and often fell. And then he heard the maids begin to yell for him to stop. That's what made Atobe run down the halls of his mansion. He slide as he turned around the corner and she was laying on the ground with him standing above her._

"_Stupid woman! How could I have married you?!"_

_His eyes turned and locked on Atobe, but the maids stood in front of him and told him to stop. Atobe pushed the maids out of the way and darted down the hall._

*

"Atobe… wake up!"

"Don't touch her!" Atobe shot up and was panting to catch his breath.

Sanada pulled his hand off of Atobe's shoulder and just blinked. Atobe looked around and saw Yukimura, Sanada, Oishi, Tezuka, Kabaji, and Oshitari staring at him with rather odd expressions. Not many people see Atobe sleep because he always has work so that's an odd site as it is, but having Atobe wake up from his sleep screaming and panting was not exactly a common site either.

Atobe rubbed his head and mumbled a sorry as Sanada slowly backed away. "What is it? If you needed to wake me up so badly it better be pretty damn important."

Oishi nodded and handed Atobe a sheet of paper. Atobe gave him a look as he (Oishi) rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Oh, it's nothing bad! It's just some ideas to help the team bond!"

Atobe wanted to say that there's no way in hell they're using these because Sakaki would ring his neck, but that wouldn't go over too well. "We should do the ones our senseis want us to do first and if we have extra time then we will use these."

"That sounds find to me," Yukimura said with a warm smile. Everyone began to depart, except for Yukimura. "Just what kind of dream was that anyways?"

Atobe ignored Rikkai Dai's captain as he stood up and walked towards Kabaji who was standing at the kitchen door.

"Atobe?" Sanada asked, he and Tezuka were casually chatting before heading outside.

"Hn?" The two boys just looked at him. "Oh, it's not time to eat yet. However, if you are hungry, there should be something in here." Atobe had almost forgotten that the man told him the guests were here _and_ that he was needed in the kitchen.

The two boys turned down his generous offer and continued outside. Atobe didn't seem to realize that Yukimura was sitting in one of the chairs by the fireplace with his head lost somewhere in the clouds. Atobe only realizes things that can affect him in some way, bad or good. Maybe that's why everyone thinks he's heartless. In a way he is, even he would admit that.

"Keigo-kun!" a young woman came up and hugged Atobe, but he merely looked at Kabaji as a desperate plea for help. She let go of him and she looked him up and down. She had brown hair and rich brown eyes, like most Japanese do. She clapped her hands together and sighed. "My, my, my… how you've grown!"

Atobe didn't want to sound blunt or rude, but he really just needed to ask, "Who are you again?"

She laughed and smiled warmly at him. "I'm the chef. It's okay if you don't remember me. After all, the staff basically changes every other week."

"Ah." She mocked his expression before laughing again and Atobe gave a small nod and smile. "I was told that I was needed in the kitchen and I suppose that you called me down here. Is there anything I'm needed for?" Atobe was desperately trying not to bore himself to sleep with the sound of his own voice.

"Oh, yes, I would just like to tell you that breakfast will be made and served roughly around nine in the morning. Lunch will be served at one or so, depending on the size of the first meal. Dinner will be served around seven. BUT," she held up a finger to emphasize the "but" (as if he sudden change in volume didn't stress that enough), "the kitchen is open at any time so please feel free to come in and snack between meals. Also, if you have any requests for a meal just find me before hand and I'll see what I can do."

Atobe nodded and the turned to leave, but she grabbed his shoulder so he turned around. "Sorry, was there more?"

She nodded and pointed to a small cabinet in the corner. "Alcohol is kept in there. The sake and wine is imported so it cannot be traced back to anyone besides the general Atobe family, so if you or any of your friends are, for some odd reason, in need of alcohol feel free to grab a bottle."

"You're allowing us to drink underage?" Atobe wasn't sure if he was excited or worried. Sure, he has had his fair share of puking his guts out of the toilet because of that damn wine his father imports, but he was pretty sure some of those goody-two-shoes at Seigaku hadn't come within a mile of expensive imports.

She winked. "As long as it stays in the cabin I don't see why not. Oh, and don't worry about me trying to get you all drunk or something silly like that, I only use minute amounts of alcohol for my dishes and most dishes to not require alcohol at all."

Atobe nodded and looked at Kabaji who was also taking in just how insane this woman is. "I see. Well, thank you for informing me. Is there anything else or am I free to leave?"

"Um? Oh, feel free to leave! I'll see you later!" she smiled and basically shoved them out of the kitchen.

Atobe shook his head as he looked up at Kabaji who had a small grin on his lips. Atobe copied that grin before heading back upstairs to hopefully get some sleep. He also noticed that Kabaji didn't follow him upstairs. He was so used to having the boy there that he could basically tell if he was standing behind him or not. Atobe tugged off his shirt and somehow managed to close his eyes and ease his thoughts as he slowly drifted into sleep.

*

"_Don't you dare touch me, you ungrateful son!" _

_Atobe jerked back as the maids and servants stood silently in the back. Atobe watched as his eyes darted between himself and the woman. The man shook his head one more time and hurried down the hall._

_Within a heart beat Atobe saw the maids rushing to the woman's side. She pushed them away and crawled over to Atobe._

"_Are you okay, Keigo?"_

_Atobe nodded. "You're bleeding again."_

_She reached up and felt her head. She sighed and then smiled at her son. "It's okay, I'm strong, I think I'll live."_

*

Atobe felt himself shaking. No, not shaking. He was bouncing. Bouncing? He opened his eyes and looked at Jirou who was jumping up and down at the end of his bed. Atobe told him to stop, but Jirou just crawled up to him on his hands and knees.

"Ne, Atobe." Atobe nodded for him to get whatever was in his system out and stretched. "What are we doing today?"

Atobe sighed and looked at the clock. "Well, we'll be eating breakfast in an hour and after that I was going to meet with Tezuka and Yukimura to discuss the actives for the day."

Jirou nodded and got off the bed and ran out the room. Atobe smiled, Jirou was one hell of a wakeup call, but it's nice to wake up to someone so perky, it kind of rubs off on you. He slide off the bed and reached for the dresser (he assumed Kabaji had unpacked his bags, which he had) and pulled out a new shirt, new boxers, and a new pair of jeans. He slipped out of his pants and pulled down his boxers when he heard someone walk into the room.

"Jirou!" Atobe yelled, covering his lower parents with his clean clothes.

The blonde looked at Atobe and then blushed. "Sorry, I-I just need clean clothes. I'm gonna go get a shower." Before Atobe could blink or even understand what the motor mouth had said, Jirou had grabbed a new set of clothes and was gone.

Jirou closed the door behind him and listened to the soft click as he locked it. He slide against the door and shivered as his legs hit the tiles of the bathroom floor. He brushed his hair out of his face and took a deep breath.

_It's just Atobe. It's just Atobe. God, who knew he was so hot? No! He's my captain! I can't think about him like that! Or can I? No!_

Jirou shook his head in a sad attempt to change his thoughts as he pulled off his own clothes and turned on the water for the shower. When a mist of hot, steamy water hit him he took a step in and let the water soothe his aching muscles. Those beds were uncomfortable and it's not as if his back doesn't always hurt; he sleeps on the ground with his tennis bag as a pillow, that's far from a temperpedic mattress.

Jirou turned the handle to the water and it whistled to a stop as he grabbed a towel and stepped out. He wrapped his waist and looked at himself in the mirror. He sighed after noticing he was only looking at stem. He ran his hand across its cool, sleek surface and tried again. He groaned.

"I look so old…," he mumbled as he looked at the dark circles under his eyes. After slapping his cheeks he quickly got dressed and walked to the second floor foyer with the white towel that was once clinging to his boney waist wrapped around his shoulders to catch water drops that fell from his hair.

He rubbed his towel against his hair one more time and sat in the same over sized bean bag as Mukahi. He noticed that Marui, Kirihara, and Hiyoshi were in the other equally over sized bean bags.

"What are you watching?" he asked as he pushed Mukahi over to get some more room.

"Old anime reruns," Kirihara informed without looking away from the screen.

Jirou nodded. He never did care for anime or manga like some of the other boys do, he never really got that into it. They talk, fight for like thirty episodes (or chapters), go back home and then end up fighting again. It wasn't productive to him; he'd rather be spending his time playing tennis against Atobe.

_Atobe... Not again! Ok, Akutagawa, think about manly things and not Atobe. Sweat, boobs, vaginas, penises, Atobe's penis, crap this isn't working!_

Jirou absent mindedly yelled as he rested his head against Mukahi's shoulder. "You smell like strawberries. I like strawberries. Atobe smells like watermelon, Marui smells like apples, and Piyo-chan smells like mangos. Why don't I have a scent?" Jirou asked despite the fact that he himself knew he wasn't making any sense at all. He just wanted his mind off of Atobe, _all_ of Atobe.

The boys just pasted Jirou's mumblings off as Jirou's mumblings until Marui became slightly confused at one of those scents. "How do you know what Atobe smells like?"

Kirihara immediately turned off the TV and set the remote on the floor so he could turn and stare at the blonde with fascination. Hiyoshi and Mukahi copied Kirihara and Marui.

"How _do_ you know what Atobe smells like?" Hiyoshi asked, slightly interested in something for the first time since tennis calmed down.

"Yuushi smells like strawberries, too. I think we use the same shampoo," Mukahi mumbled as he struggled against his friend in their battle for bean bag space.

Jirou shrugged. "I don't know, I just know. How do you know what Oshitari smells like?" Mukahi smirked and Jirou interrupted what could have potentially been scaring by saying, "On second thought I don't need to know. I'm going to go for a walk."

The other boys nodded and quickly turned their attention back to the TV. A second later they realized that they needed to turn it back on.

* * *

**A/N: I just got back from the beach and have some great ideas for this story! It's going to be so long (I need practice so I'm not complaining) but it is going to be good (at least I hope). I know nothing interesting has happened yet, but I'm working on it! Next chapter should be a little better.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT and I am in no way profiting from writing this besides personal entertainment and writing practice. **

**Note: Again with the dream thing, only this time it's Jirou... **

**Warning: Jirou has a naughty dream (just making out) so read at your own risk…**

**Right, now onto the story!**

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 4**

Jirou always takes in his surroundings. He figures that's why he sleeps a lot. If you're bored then naturally you'll be tired. He is just ten times more sensitive and will fall asleep from that boredom while most will just doze off. He hasn't quite figured out how he becomes so perky, but he hoped it was just seeing everyone awake that did that and not some weird emotional disorder.

He looked around and felt completely at ease, his breathing had calmed down, his heart was no longer beating out of his chest, and his thoughts were free of his troubles. It was a beautiful day; the clouds were like white cotton candy in the aqua sky. Jirou always liked looking at the sky for some odd reason. He wasn't even sure why himself, all he knew was that he felt so little when he looked up. He didn't get depressed or anything like that, he felt at peace.

He walked out into the open field that was behind the cabin and walked towards the forest that surrounded the open grass. It was definitely cooler in the shade, he noticed as he felt the enormous tree trunks with his small hands.

He smiled and kept walking. After following a dirt trail or two, Jirou stumbled upon a cliff. He looked over the edge and was memorized.

"It's beautiful…," he mumbled as he looked at the lake. Then, just when he thought it couldn't get any better, a gust of wind carried unique smell of fresh cut grass and lavender to his face. It took in a deep breath and didn't want to breathe out, but apparently his body had other plans. He let out a deep sigh and turned to look at the cabin that was peeking through the forest.

He then began the long trek back to the cabin. When he pulled the door open he saw something he never expected in a million years. "Why is everyone wearing camouflage?" Everyone was. Some people had on camouflage pants and natural color shirts while others had complete suits on and a couple even had black strips on their face.

"Ryuzaki wants us to play hide-and-seek," Tezuka mumbled. He was probably embarrassed that he was being forced to play such a childish game.

"Right… Do we have to? I'm a little tired," Jirou lied. He wasn't tired, he just didn't want to dress like that for two or so hours.

Tezuka sighed and rubbed the back of his head. Now _that_ was weird. "I don't see why not, Atobe, Kabaji, and Hiyoshi aren't playing either."

"You're team ruins it for all of us sometimes," Momo said in an attempt to be funny. It didn't really work. He rubbed the back of his head and shot Jirou and everyone else on Hyotei a plea for forgiveness.

Jirou had a feeling Momo wouldn't be seeking as much as he would be hiding because Shishido looked rather mad and Mukahi did too.

Jirou nodded nonetheless and began to head upstairs. He sat down on one of the chairs that was in front of the fireplace and tried to ignore how the bear rug was staring at him as he tried to get some sleep. A good nap clears you mind, right?

More like yeah right.

*

_Jirou walked down the stairs of the cabin slightly confused as to why it was dark out. He didn't sleep that much, did he? He shrugged and looked around._

"_Hello?" he called out again, but to no avail._

_He sighed and opened the door to the kitchen. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor when he saw that it wasn't the kitchen, but a large white room covered in red rose petals. Oh, and the fact that Atobe was laying on a bed in a tuxedo wasn't helping his jaw._

"_Atobe… what's going on?"_

_Atobe smirked as he rose from the bed and slowly began walking towards Jirou. Jirou couldn't help but watch his hips as they swayed back and forth. He didn't even realize how his eyes were locked on his until they were only inches apart._

"_Hold on a second. Just what's –"_

_Atobe pressed a finger to the blonde's lips. "Shhh… No need to ask questions."_

_Jirou was hypnotized by Atobe's voice. It was deep and oddly sexy, it was a man's voice, something Jirou couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams (okay, so maybe it was within his dreams). Atobe grabbed his wrist and gently began to coax him towards the bed. _

_Atobe didn't lay Jirou like he thought he would. Jirou didn't move when Atobe slipped his hand underneath his shirt, nor did he complain when Atobe began to whisper unspeakable things into his ear before nibbling on the shell._

"_Atobe…" Jirou whined._

_Atobe pushed Jirou onto his back and straddled his hips, gently placing kisses along his jaw line and down his neck."Jirou." When their lips meet Jirou couldn't help but open his eyes to see what Atobe looked like. When he opened them he gasped and turned a new shade of red. Atobe's gaze was so heated and intense it made all thoughts in Jirou's mind float away._

_Jirou only blushed more when he felt Atobe's tongue slither against his lips. "Jirou," Atobe said again in that intoxicating voice. He didn't need to catch his breath, but Jirou was panting for dear life._

"_At…obe…"_

"_Jirou!"_

*

Jirou's eye flew open as the handsome and sexy Atobe in his dream forcefully called out his name. Jirou limped out of the chair and crawled backwards towards the wall, away from real life Atobe who was screaming his name.

"Are you okay? You missed breakfast and you were… moaning," Atobe mumbled as if he was saying a profanity in front of a parent because they were mad.

Jirou knew his face was flushed. He looked down just to make sure he wasn't indecent or something like that. He wasn't, but he was pretty sure that if Atobe hadn't interrupted himself then he might have been in another second.

Atobe took a step towards Jirou who had hit a wall. He gently put a hand on his forehead. "Hm? You're warm. Are you sick?" Atobe kneeled and put his other hand to Jirou's forehead. He slide it down to his cheek and then to his neck and back up.

Jirou flushed more and began to stutter. "I-I-I'm just fine… Actually, no, I'm very, very sick. I think a nice cold shower will cool me off."

Jirou stood up, pushed Atobe away, and sprinted for the bathroom. He was so thankful that no one was in there, he was also thankful that Atobe didn't knock on the door to make sure he didn't slip and fall and break his ankle. Believe it or not, that actually happened once, and the situation was similar to this one only Jirou had been dreaming about a girl, not Atobe, a guy.

_Holy crap_, Jirou thought, _I was just – About Atobe?! Oh come on! _

He paced back and forth as he stripped off his clothes. He turned the water on as far on cold as it would go and stepped in a second later. He screamed out because it burned it was so cold. He fumbled as he tried to raise the heat just a little. After finding a decent, but still cool, temperature Jirou put his head against the cold tiles and let the water run down his back.

_Why did I dream about Atobe? Was it because I saw him naked? Probably… But maybe I'm gay or something… No! I'm straight! I like girls, I've kissed girls, and girls are great! Aw who am I kidding? Atobe was hotter than any girl with huge boobs. Oh, why do I always get stuck in these situations? I think it's Mukahi's turn!_

Jirou turned the water off and grabbed a towel from the rod that was on the wall. He quickly wrapped it around his waist and figured that he might as well change his clothes. The thought of wearing the clothes from his dream freaked him out a bit. He grabbed his clothes and awkwardly tried to hold his towel up at the same time.

Jirou opened the door to his bedroom and – surprise, surprise – Atobe was sitting on his bed with his phone in one hand, a pen in the other, and a notebook on his lap. He also saw Kabaji sitting at the edge with Atobe's laptop. Jirou quickly made it so the door seemed closed, but left enough space for him to peek through.

_Wait, this is wrong,_ he told himself. Then he shook his head. He had every right to lurk and peek at Atobe, it's not like he was stalking him.

"Yes… Wait, what is that exactly?" Atobe asked whoever was on the other line. He wrote something down and shrugged as he handed it to Kabaji who began to type. "Forty two percent? That's all?" Atobe paused to wait for a response. He sighed and rubbed his temple and somehow managed not to poke himself in the eye with the pen (Jirou found that pretty cool). "Okay, well, is there anyone who can perform it with better chances? Cost isn't a problem at all." Atobe rolled his eyes after a long pause.

Just as Atobe went to answer again Jirou felt someone tapping his shoulder. He jumped, shut the door, and fixed his towel which was falling slightly.

"Sempai?" Hiyoshi asked quietly.

Jirou waved his arms in the air like he was doing some ancient voo-doo summoning ritual. "Are you insane?! What I he saw me because of you?"

Hiyoshi furrowed his brow. "He'd know you've been stalking him, sempai."

Jirou snorted and rolled his eyes. "Geez, Piyo, get your facts straight." Jirou stood up and grabbed his clothes. "I was lurking, not stalking. There's a difference."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes and knocked on the bedroom door. "Hey, Atobe, are you done yet? I really need to get something."

There was a moment of silent and quite arguing before Kabaji said, "Uh… Atobe-san and I need a few more minutes."

Hiyoshi threw his hands up and sighed. "Gosh, sometimes you think they're having sex in there." Hiyoshi cringed at the thought. Then he looked down at Jirou who was blushing. "They're having sex?"

Jirou shook his head back and forth so fast it hurt. "No! Just please don't mention Atobe and sex, the mental image is scaring."

Hiyoshi nodded and shivered again. "I know what you mean." He waved over his shoulder as he walked away.

Jirou just stood there, unsure of what to do. He obviously couldn't just walk in there with nothing more than a towel on. It was already awkward enough with him having seen Atobe naked and dreaming about him having rough, passionate, dirty sex! There was no need to make both of them act like utter morons. He also couldn't knock because Hiyoshi just did. But it's not like he could just sit in the hallway naked! What is someone saw? What if Atobe walked out?

_Crap._

He sighed, grabbed his clothes, and walked back to the bathroom. Now he was going to have to lie and say he fell asleep standing up in the shower.

* * *

**A/N: PLEASE DON'T SHOOT ME! I didn't want to post this because of the kissing scene (it sucks, I'm sorry) and I had to erase what Atobe said in his ear because I turned beat red after reading it and I would probably need to change the rating (it was ****that**** bad). **

**Finally a little bit of progress. I know this hasn't been that good of a story up until now, but I wanted their relationship to start from nothing and well, they definitely got something now… or at least Jirou do. Atoji (is there a name for their pair?) is the main pair just to clear things up, I'm going to add Jirou as the second character (Atobe and any is set right now). There are a lot of side pairings though.**

**Enough of my babbling!**

**Constructive criticism on anything but that crappy kiss scene is encouraged! Tell me what you think, I like knowing what's good about my stories so I can keep doing whatever it is that I'm doing.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Jirou gasped as he slowly put his left foot on the same step as the other. He winched and stumbled as he slowly limped his right foot down another step, slowly flowing up with his left.

_Damn you, Atobe. Why did it take you five hours to realize that I was still in there? Actually, it was Sanada who found me… whatever! _

Jirou finally made it to the ground and gasped in pain. His feet were killing him. He had tried sitting on the floor, but there were ants and last time he spent a night at one of Atobe's cabins there was a mouse. Jirou didn't like mice for some reason (who _does_ like mice?). But that's not the point, he had to stand for five hours not only did he miss lunch, but it took him fifteen minutes just to walk down the stairs. Hiyoshi and Mukahi tried to help him, but they just gave up after a couple of yelps of pain.

Jirou told them that's no way to treat a teammate, but apparently Mukahi tripped during a very aggressive game of hide-and-seek and needed Oshitari to look at his ankle. How exactly is hide-and-seek aggressive? Maybe for Momo it was, but other than it you basically just hide into a bush until someone moron finds you. Yippy! Wait… a bush is for people who can't jump. Mukahi probably hide in a tree.

The blonde just shook his head. It was pointless for him to be thinking about Mukahi and their game, he didn't even play, he was too busy standing in _a shower_. He walked by the fireplace on the first floor and saw Momo and the rest of Seigaku laughing (minus Tezuka and Ryoma) as well as a few members of Rikkaidai and his own team.

"Jirou, sit down!" Marui called.

Marui was always nice to Jirou, that's probably what he liked about him. Jirou actually doesn't fawn over every great tennis player; if he did then he would be busy and have multiple restraining orders. He only fawns over tennis players who are kind and do things for the right reason and have fun while playing tennis. His feelings for Marui never went past admiration despite what the rumors say.

"No thanks, I need something to eat," Jirou said. Marui nodded and turned back to listen to some joke that Kirihara was telling. He opened the door to the kitchen and rummaged through the oversized refrigerator for something half decent.

He settled with a bottle of water and an apple, no use spoiling his dinner. Jirou somehow managed to pull himself up onto the counter and unscrewed the water. He thought for a second before digging into his pants pocket and pulling out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until finding the right number.

Jirou waited a second before Mukahi picked up. _"What the hell do you want? I'm a little busy right now."_

He rolled his eyes. Mukahi was always busy now. Ever since he started going out with Oshitari he's been busy. He was not even half as busy as Atobe, but apparently he was busy enough to wonder off to leave his friend to face stairs by himself.

"Sorry, I just want to know if Atobe's in our room, I'm trying to avoid him and I want my ipod."

Jirou heard shuffling, as if the phone was being passed to another person, as he took a long sip of his water.

"_Hello?"_ Jirou almost dropped the phone and his snack.

"O-Oshitari?" This had happened once before, a couple of weeks ago actually. Mukahi was spending the night at Oshitari's and Jirou had forgotten their chemistry homework so he called Mukahi and interrupted something he really wished he hadn't.

"_If you're wondering where Atobe is, he went down to get something from the kitchen a minute ago. He asked if we wanted anything and we told him no. Whatever it is that's bugging you, I suggest you get it out of your system now because he should be down there any second. Please don't disturb us until dinner and make sure to keep Shishido and Ohtori-kun out of our room."_

Click.

Jirou stared at his cell phone. "Ew."

"What's 'ew?'"

Jirou jumped off the counter and spilled water all over the place (including his new shirt and pants that took five minutes per leg) by accident. He cursed as he looked up and saw Atobe, Hiyoshi, and Kabaji standing at the door. He cursed again and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Mukahi and Oshitari," Jirou informed. The three looked oddly confused so Jirou cringed as he said, "Scaring mental image _ew_."

Atobe nodded and Kabaji grimaced slightly. Jirou laughed, but then he realized that Hiyoshi didn't make any face. Jirou pointed towards the future captain and Atobe waved his hand, dismissing the subject.

"He knows that Mukahi and Oshitari are having sex whenever they can." The way Atobe said it was so casual, like that's something that just pops up in his every day schedule.

Hiyoshi nodded. Jirou wasn't sure if he was nodding because he didn't care or if he was disgusted and wanted to die or if he felt bad for himself or if it was a combination of those three.

"I don't get how you can be so casual about it, Atobe-buchou," Hiyoshi mumbled as he grabbed an orange out of the refrigerator. Atobe asked what he meant as he shoved the second year out of the way and pulled out a banana and another orange. Atobe tossed the orange to Kabaji and waited for Hiyoshi to answer.

"I mean, you used to well… date Oshitari-sempai, right?"

Atobe stopped peeling his banana. "Yes, but it's not like it sounds like. We hardly ever talked and ended it right after Nationals. Nothing more than a casual relationship, surely you've had those before."

Hiyoshi nodded and continued to fumble with peeling that damn orange that refused to be peeled. "Yeah, I have had casual relationships, but aren't you like a bit jealous that they're doing something so…?"

Jirou saw that Hiyoshi was struggling with words. It was still weird to some of the regulars to see Hiyoshi talk to anyone besides Ohtori because he is actually rather shy and bashful when it comes to things like relationships, especially homosexual relationships. Atobe had tried to explain to him that since he will be captain next year, unless Ryoma decides to suddenly transfer, that he will need to handle social issues for the club members as well and that sometimes included things you'd rather not talk about. Hiyoshi seriously did not want to be captain for a week after Atobe told him that.

"Intimate?" Jirou suggested in an attempt to help Hiyoshi out of his self-dug hole. Hiyoshi nodded and finally was able to bite into his orange. Jirou knew he just wanted something to keep his mouth shut so he wouldn't have to take part in their odd conversation.

Atobe shrugged and didn't seem fazed when Ryoma walked into the kitchen on snack duty for the boys huddled around the fireplace. "Not at all. It's their life and they should feel free to do whatever they wish, if they want to have sex then why not? Mukahi can't possible get pregnant and I'm sure neither of them have diseases or anything of the sort."

The four Hyotei boys noticed that Ryoma stopped fumbling through the refrigerator when Atobe said "sex."

"Echizen?" Jirou asked, slightly worried that he might be one second away from puking (not everybody in the tennis world is as used to casual gay relationships as they are) or from breaking out into hysterical laughter (some people still laugh at the word "sex" when they're in junior high).

The boy merely turned around after tugging his cap down and walked out with an armful of sodas and waters. He paused at the door and turned around with his signature smile just to say, "Nice banana, Monkey King."

Atobe rolled his eyes after he left. "I think that boy will miss teasing me. Kabaji!" Atobe snapped his fingers and the other boy became more attentive than a brain surgeon. "We are joining their conversation; work can wait a few minutes."

When the two left Hiyoshi turned to Jirou to make sure he hadn't died and teleported to a blizzard in Hell. Jirou looked out the window, literally, before looking back to Hiyoshi and shrugging. "I don't know what the heck is going on, but pigs aren't flying in purple bikinis so I think we're still in Japan…"

Hiyoshi sighed and took another large bite out of his orange. "I'm going upstairs to practice, I need to vent."

"About what?"

"Everything. Want to come with me?"

"Only if you help me up the stairs," Jirou mumbled as he rubbed the back of his legs.

Hiyoshi tilted his head to his left slightly and gave a faint hearted smile. "Hai, sempai, but I'm not giving you a piggy back ride or anything."

Jirou's smile lit up to what people see when they think about him; it was bright, radiant, hyper, and alive. "No worries, Piyo! But you do know how funny it was to hear you say 'piggy back ride,' right?"

Hiyoshi blushed slightly and quickly made his exit. Jirou came fumbling after him. "No fair! Wait up, I'm crippled!"

*

Hiyoshi and Jirou were sitting in the middle of their room facing each other while they meditated. It wasn't so much as mediating as it was sitting awkwardly and talking about their problems.

Jirou always found it weird how practicing or even just talking with Hiyoshi seemed to calm him. The boy was just someone you could trust. Jirou had only actually gone past stretching and those silly deep breathing exercises once before and that was because some girl liked him and that girl had a very large boyfriend so he needed to learn how to hit. The situation with the boyfriend was avoided when Jirou became afraid and ran like hell, though.

Another thing Jirou liked about practicing with Hiyoshi was that the stretching they always do seemed to make him feel lighter. He didn't really enjoy feeling weightlessness like Mukahi did, but at least his legs didn't hurt anymore.

"So," Jirou began as he let out another breath, his eyes were still closed, "are you okay with becoming captain yet?"

Hiyoshi rolled his neck and took in a deep breath. "I guess."

Jirou opened one of his eyes and looked at Hiyoshi, but closed it after a second. "What does 'I guess' mean? Nervous? You shouldn't be because you can play just as well as Atobe, remember that UC-17 camp match? He _barely_ beat you."

Hiyoshi hesitated a moment and a few breaths later he said, "I never one won a game in any of the tournaments we played in that actually helped. I don't want to let the team down."

"You're too hard on yourself for losing. Just go with the flow; if you lose then you lose, you can't change the past."

Hiyoshi didn't say anything so Jirou opened his eyes to see Hiyoshi sitting there with a huge smile on his face. Jirou closed his eyes because Hiyoshi still had his closed. "Yeah," Hiyoshi finally said, "but you can change the future."

Jirou bit his lip so hard it almost drew blood. He could change his future if he wanted to. He did want people to know things, but he was always too afraid to say anything. That's when Jirou decided that before the camp was over he would tell Atone what had been going through his head, he would tell Mukahi that he's being stupid for trying to making Atobe jealous by having sex with Oshitari, and tell Ohtori and Hiyoshi that they'll make next year's Hyotei team the best in history.

Jirou thought again and smiled to himself as he shifted.

_Okay, so I won't tell Atobe __**everything**__ that's been going through my head, that'd be awkward._

_

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_

**A/N: Gah! This one was so talkative! I don't know if I'm doing the characterization thing too much or just enough (I think too much… opinions?). Anyways, the next chapter has another little Atobe & Jirou thing, and then the chapter after that is the one I love because it sets off a whole series of problems (but I'm really going to be embarrassed about posting it).**

**Oh, and I know that if you're writing in italics that you emphasize by un-italicizing it, but I hate doing that because you can miss it so easily.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

**Note: I don't know what the heck Japanese people eat and I can't use chopsticks as possible "I'll stab you" thing so they're getting vague stuff and eating it with forks! **

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**Chapter 6**

"Hey, Jirou-sempai," Hiyoshi mumbled as he continued to stretch out again. The two had finished their meditating and Jirou had migrated to his bed where he sat with his ipod and a book he had to read for a class. Everyone on Hyotei, at least the regulars, knew Hiyoshi's routine; stretch, meditate, stretch, and then do whatever it is he does, stretch, shower.

"Hn?" Jirou asked as he pulled out a single earphone. He winced as he sat up a little to listen, his back was _killing_ him again. He probably pulled a muscle while stretching. Jirou hated irony when it was about him.

"Thanks for the advice." Hiyoshi said it as if he was ashamed (which he probably was). The second year hates asking for advice because he feels weak when he does. Jirou could never fully understand that boy, he sometimes wondered how Ohtori could.

Jirou nodded and put his headphone back in. "No problem, I'm your elder, right?"

Hiyoshi smirked and extended the reach to his toes even farther. "Yeah."

The two went on in silence. Hiyoshi was finally doing something, silent kicking and punching mostly, while Jirou skimmed the book. He would just end up going by the movie anyways. It was some sappy romance and ten to one says Oshitari has a copy.

When the door opened both boys froze and looked up.

_Crap, Atobe._

Atobe nodded to both boys and walked inside, slowly making his way to his bed. "Dinner is ready in case you're wondering. Everyone else is downstairs."

Hiyoshi frowned at his captain, the man he swore to beat one day. "Why aren't you?"

Atobe reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his laptop. "Work."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes and walked to the door. He looked over his shoulder. "Aren't you coming, Jirou-sempai? You haven't had anything all day besides that apple."

Jirou shook his head, and then his stomach growled like a hungry lion on the hunt. Jirou gave a toothy, nervous grin and rolled to the side of the bed. "Maybe I'll go get something. Want me to bring you anything, Atobe?"

Atobe looked up from his laptop screen. "Um? Oh, no, I'll get something when I finish this."

Jirou knew better than to ask what "this" was. Last time he did he got yelled out, a trip on Kabaji's back, and one hell of a headache when the tall second year explained it to him. Jirou didn't know how Atobe, how _Kabaji_, understood that sort of thing. Ever since Atobe began to work on stocks and business proposals, his marks in math did increase, though.

By the time Jirou and Hiyoshi got to the kitchen everyone was already eating and talking. The two saw a young lady, the chef, in the kitchen as she continued to finish cleaning up.

"Oh, hello boys," she said with a warm smile. She wiped her hands with a rag and placed a pan back in one of the upper cabinets. "Dinner will be ready in a second, right now you can have as much bread and salad as you want, though."

The two boys nodded to her and gave her an equally warm smile. Hiyoshi sat next to Ohtori like always while Jirou sat next to Marui and Hiyoshi's other side.

After a couple of jokes the chef came over and placed a large plate of what appeared to be some sort of fish (Jirou couldn't tell with the way she plated it – it looked like the food they got whenever they were at Atobe's house) and something else that had an odd yellow color (that didn't look all that edible). She placed the same thing at the other end of the table as well. She bowed and then left the room.

"So, how was hide-and-seek?" Hiyoshi asked his tall friend. The table went dead silent. "Did I say something?"

Mukahi rolled his eyes and took another bit of that yellow stuff, apparently it was good. "I got stuck in a tree –go figure – and Momoshiro over there tried to hide when he was seeking, and half of us got covered in bear or rabbit shit and we couldn't use the shower because someone was in there."

Everyone looked at Jirou who was busy stuffing his mouth with food. He really didn't want to talk about it. When they got him out after picking the lock (locking it was not his best idea) it took another ten minutes to get him out. Every inch he screamed in pain; they ended up just carrying him, he was light enough.

"So… who one?" Hiyoshi asked, taking the hint that Jirou didn't want the attention on him.

Yukimura scuffed. "Obviously Rikkaidai, we found Fuji when he was behind that rock. Didn't we, Renji?"

"Actually," Yanagi began, "according to my data, Seigaku would have won."

"See, Rikkaidai did – What?! Let me see this so called 'data,'" Yukimura demanded. Who knew that he refused to lose at hide-and-seek, too?

"Actually, Renji, you can't win in hide-and-seek," Inui pointed out. The two just stared at each other as if they were having a telepathic, genius conversation.

Niou snorted. "Yeah, but if you could win Rikkaidai would've."

"No! Seigaku would've!" Eiji yelled.

Then the teams began to bicker and bitch back and forth. Tezuka, Sanada, and whoever else was sane and not immature like a monkey looked at Hiyoshi with faces that asked if the boy was insane. You never bring up winning in front of any of them, that's just common sense.

"Excuse me," Jirou said in the middle of the table's heated battle so no one heard or even noticed he left. He somehow got upstairs without any help for the first time all day and fell onto his bed. He winched and then heard, "Jirou?"

He looked up and saw Atobe sitting on his bed with his laptop.

_Great, I forgot about Atobe (which is what I wanted to do), but I also forgot he was still up here. Juuuust great._

"Go get something to eat, you didn't eat a thing at breakfast and skipped lunch. Unless you count that banana, you haven't eaten anything all day. Besides," Jirou turned onto his side and let out a small sob as he finished talking, "they're talking about winning, you like fighting with Tezuka over silly crap like that."

His back really did hurt more than usual for some odd reason, probably because he fell off that chair when Atobe gave him a mini heart attack or that stretching. Jirou always got grumpy when his back hurt, something that bugged him more than his actually backache.

Atobe raised an eyebrow and closed his laptop. "Is it your back again?" Jirou nodded. Atobe sighed and walked over to his friend's bed. "Take off your shirt."

Jirou froze all movements, even his heart stopped for a second. He thought that he was dreaming so he pinched himself and yelped. He blinked a couple of times and Atobe was still standing at the edge of his bed.

"W-what?"

"Take off your shirt, I'll give you a massage again." Atobe sat next to Jirou who seemed to lose all of the intelligent thoughts in his head.

Jirou was now one hundred percent sure Atobe was trying to kill him by giving him multiple heart attacks in one day. As if walking in on him naked and having an almost wet dream about him wasn't enough!

"I'm fine, really. Besides, who knows, you might make it worse."

"I've done this before, Jirou." Atobe's tone changed to something slightly more serious. Jirou liked it when Atobe became serious because his voice went deeper (not that he would ever tell anyone that).

Jirou flinched when he felt Atobe's fingers under his shirt. It startled him for a second. Jirou really hated how straightforward his captain was at times like this. Jirou sat there like a rock as Atobe's ghostly touch trailed up higher on his back. A second later he felt his shirt bunch at his head and felt Atobe's fingers leave his back. Jirou was slightly sad that those long, elegant fingers weren't dancing along his back anymore.

"Lift your arms."

Jirou pulled his shirt off and got on his stomach. They had done this before; actually, they had done this quite a lot. Jirou refused to go to some chiropractor (Jirou isn't a big fan of doctors) so Atobe gave him weekly massages. Of course they stopped after Nationals because there was no need for Atobe to care about Jirou; they had lost, tennis was over, and he couldn't benefit from it anymore. That's what made Jirou confused, Atobe was helping him.

Jirou's face flushed again and nuzzled his face into a pillow and nodded, a sign that Atobe could start. A second later he felt Atobe roughly push on his lower back and work his way up. His touch was so familiar, yet so strange, to Jirou.

"Ow."

"Sorry, too hard?"

"Not hard enough…" Jirou mumbled as he grabbed his pillow and dug his face deeper into it.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Atobe nodded and continued to work out the knots in Jirou's back with delicate, as well as rough, touches. Atobe tried so hard not to linger his touch just a little longer on Jirou's creamy skin. Sometimes, though he would never admit it, Atobe wondered who had ever touched Jirou like this. Surely Jirou was popular and had his fair share of dates, but had he ever gone that far? He had seen Jirou making out on the roof once or twice (he was not spying, he just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to sleep through a class), but it seemed the girls always started the kisses (not that he was spying).

"Done," Atobe said as he swung his legs off the bed. He didn't want to be done, though.

Jirou grabbed his arm before he could completely walk off. "My shoulders are still sore."

Atobe furrowed his brow in confusion, but his mind was screaming "Yes! Yes!" at the same time. "Since when do your shoulders hurt?"

"A couple weeks ago," Jirou lied.

Atobe nodded once and crawled back behind Jirou who sat up and arched his back towards Atobe. His shoulders didn't hurt, they never have either. Jirou hated to admit it, but he loved the feeling of Atobe's strong hands on his skin, just like Atobe loved the feeling of Jirou's silky skin under his hands.

"Here?" Atobe asked as he rubbed Jirou's shoulders. He shook his head. "What about… here?" He moved his hands closer towards Jirou's neck. He nodded and Atobe began to twist and rub his soft skin that had been slightly tanned from hours of practice in the sun.

"That feels really, really good." Jirou wanted to cover his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that aloud.

Atobe smirked and took his hands off the smaller boy's back. "Is it safe to assume that you're better?"

"Yeah, I am. Um… Atobe?"

_Just tell him now and get done with it! It'll be a lot better if he knows!_

"What is it?"

_I can't do it! I'm a big fat chicken. A fat, fat, fat chicken!_

Jirou turned around and smiled at him. "Thank you!" he said before quickly going out of the room to go to the bathroom and take another cool shower –he seemed to be taking a lot of those lately. Atobe rubbed the back of his head and let a breath out he forgot about before going back to his bed to continue working.

"Jirou!" Atobe yelled as he opened his laptop.

The blonde came back into the room with a bright red face. He grabbed his shirt and then quickly made another exit.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter had the first hint that Atobe might have feelings for Jirou, or at least it has the first hint that he has a back fetish (which he doesn't). The next chapter screws Atobe's mind over big time though. I mean, I'm trying to get it so they're fourteen year old boys confused about their sexuality, freaking out over their future, and embarrassed about their feelings for their best friend. That doesn't happen overnight and there has to be a plot twist.**

**Oh, and I'm going back to school on the 25****th**** so my posting will slow down A LOT. I'm trying to type as much as I can during the rest of my vacation, but I do have a life believe it or not so I'm sorry. Oh, and I'm not posting until at least Monday (my cousin is coming over until Sunday starting tomorrow). Oh, and I say "oh" too much.**

**I should go to bed now, it's 1am.  
**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

**Warning: There's two little things in here, but I keep it vague and just talking about the kissing more than anything else.**

**Warning II: The rest of this pre-story note is just me ranting/talking.**

**Note: I don't know how much wine you need to drink to get drunk so this chapter may be so wrong it's funny or it may be right, who knows?**

**Note II: I'm sorry that I didn't respond to the reviews, but I got on today right after my cousin had left and I didn't feel like answering them. Let me just say thanks to everyone who reviewed and alerted and whatever else you people did. Seriously, logging into my email and seeing like 20 something messages for reviews and alerts really made my day.**

**Note III: Uh… I skipped like their "night" scene for the previous day because I honestly didn't see a point to writing it out because nothing happened. So it's morning now.**

**Onto the story!**

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**Chapter 7**

Atobe wasn't a morning person. Plan and simple. No amount of fancy words could spice up the truth that the boy simply hated being woken from his dreams (as long as they were pleasant). He always attempted to hug is pillow for a mere second longer before having to face reality. So, naturally, when he was woken by one of the delivery men at sunrise he wasn't a happy camper.

"What is it? Can't it wait until noun?" Atobe hissed coldly as he sat up and stretched.

The man shook his head. "Not if you're Atobe Keigo and you are, or so we're told."

Atobe sighed and spun his legs off the bed and jumped off. He slipped into his slippers and followed the man downstairs as he talked. Apparently, since Atobe is the only legal owner (it's his family's cabin after all) at the moment he has to check the shipment of new supplies (toiletries, food, water, and other basic necessities) by hand.

Atobe groaned as he walked into the kitchen. "You want me to tally this by hand?" he asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice; there were at least a dozen large boxes and two large wooden crates sitting in the middle of the kitchen.

"Well, technically you aren't required to, but some of the times are fairly rare as well as expensive. We reimburse the customer if the quality is not to their standard so we suggest you look. Actually, if you prefer not to, that's okay with us."

The man handed Atobe a clipboard and he flipped the page after taking in the long list of exotic names and brands. He sighed and quickly signed. "If anything's wrong with the order I won't complain, I'll just never use your company again. How's that sound?"

The man smiled nervously. "That's up to you, sir."

Atobe crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Good-bye," he spat through grinding teeth.

The man quickly left and Atobe just looked around the kitchen. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, it was seven which means that the chef would be down any minute and everyone one else would be up soon. Atobe rolled his shoulders as he left the kitchen and made his way up to the bathroom, figuring that at least he could get a hot shower before all twenty or so boys decided to get theirs.

*

"Hurry up, Niou. Get the hell out of there already!" Mukahi yelled as he banged on the bathroom door. He was unfortunately the last to wake up which means he was last in line to get a shower. He had missed breakfast so Oshitari had to bring him up toast and milk.

"I don't want this shit," Mukahi told Oshitari. The blue haired genius walked off without taking it out of his hands.

Mukahi hated Oshitari at times like that, but it also made him like him more. Mukahi actually only began to like Oshitari after they started dating. Since they were partners, they became friends, and Mukahi watched Oshitari have his heart broken by Atobe. He couldn't simply sit by and watch that, so he set off to make Atobe jealous. It started with just spending more time with Oshitari, then it came to the point where they started going out, and then having sex. Mukahi started liking him somewhere between the sex and going out.

The acrobat stood up, chugged his milk, quickly ate his toast, and then the bathroom door opened. Niou walked out in jeans and a sweatshirt and was rubbing his hair with a towel. He smirked and grabbed Mukahi by the shoulder.

"I got cold water, you'll get freezing."

Mukahi didn't say anything until Niou walked off. He punched the wall and walked in and turned on the water and simply stuck his hand under after turning it the farthest he could for heat. _You could freeze an ice-cube over with this water!_, he thought. He quickly turned it off and dried of his hand. He would get a shower later.

After going back to his room and getting changed, Mukahi went downstairs and found that Kikumaru, Oishi, Shishido, and Ohtori were playing ping pong with switched partners. Mukahi didn't understand how they could do that, not after the UC-17 camp made them go up against one another.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a yogurt from the fridge and ate it without a spoon, he didn't feel like looking for one. He left the empty container on the counter and went back outside and bumped right into Oshitari.

"Oh, hey Yuushi." Mukahi licked his lips and winked as he said, "I mean, hey sexy."

"Ugh! Get a room!" Shishido yelled before he served.

Mukahi rolled his eyes and gazed his fingers along Oshitari's rear as he walked past. Oshitari grabbed Mukahi's wrist and stopped him. "You missed the details for today's activity because you weren't at breakfast; we're going into the forest for a walk."

"I don't wanna," Mukahi whined. He was selfish and childish, but he knew that and that only made it more fun for him.

Oshitari smirked and let go of his boyfriend's wrist. "I told Atobe that we would be staying behind."

Mukahi smiled and wrapped his arms around Oshitari's neck. He kissed him quickly, but it was deep enough for Eiji to screaming about puking. "That's why I love you. Wanna go upstairs?"

"Sorry, but I don't want to," Oshitari said, but he pulled Mukahi in for another kiss and after breaking away he purred, "Later" into his ear.

Mukahi chewed on his lip, but smiled at the same time and walked away, ignoring how the ping-pong morons were asking Oshitari to be a little more discreet. Mukahi didn't want to be discreet. He wanted everyone to know that Oshitari was his and Oshitari knew that because he told the others that they didn't need to look.

*

The red headed acrobat of Hyotei was lounging on his bed when Oshitari walked in and leaned against the door frame. He knocked on the wall and Mukahi glanced up and smirked.

Everyone had left half an hour ago and around ten minutes ago Mukahi ran into Atobe, the three of them were the only ones to stay behind. Mukahi hated how Atobe seemed to always been in the way. It was always Atobe.

"Hey," he said as he blinked slowly and rolled onto his back. He bent his head back to look at Oshitari like it didn't hurt at all.

"Want to get something to eat so we have something to work off of?"

Mukahi hated how Oshitari had to have everything perfect before they had sex. It wasn't supposed to be that hard. It was supposed to be stick it in the hole, move, and -poof- sex.

"Sure, but not because I want to, only because I know you suck –not in a good way – without something in your stomach."

The two walked down to the kitchen and Mukahi watched Oshitari eat in silence. He was getting bored so he decided to rummage around the kitchen. A second later Mukahi found something that he thought was the Holy Grail.

"Hey, Yuushi, look what I found." Mukahi held up a bottle, most likely some sort of wine that was just shipped in, that he had just pulled from the cabinets.

Oshitari smirked, but didn't move from the table. "Yes, that's very nice."

Mukahi jumped to the top of one of the counters and swung his feet back and forth. "I'll share," he said teasingly as he uncorked the bottle.

Oshitari stood up and walked over and stood between Mukahi's legs. He placed his hands on the counter, but the red head didn't seem the least bit phased. "That's quit tempting, but we don't have any cups."

Mukahi took a long sip from the bottle and swallowed. "We don't need cups."

"Gakuto," Oshitari said as if he was correcting a child, "drinking after one another is unsanitary. Besides, what if we don't finish the bottle and need to put it back?"

Mukahi grinned and took another long sip. He grabbed Oshitari by the back of the head and pulled him in for a kiss. He gently pushed the red liquid from his mouth to his and smirked as he pulled back. The acrobat licked his lips and moved forward so their chests were pushed together slightly more than they were before.

"Oh, we're finishing it. Now, do you want more or not?"

Oshitari grabbed the bottle, took a long sip and then kissed Mukahi and transferred the liquid into his mouth. It wasn't like they hadn't done this before, they had, but it was usually with juice or medicine the other refused to take. It felt different with wine, at least it did to Mukahi, it felt hotter.

When Oshitair pulled away Mukahi smirked and wrapped his legs around Oshitari. "Isn't this better than sweating in the forest?"

Oshitari nodded as he devoured Mukahi's neck. "Much. Better." He was talking between kisses and Mukahi wanted to laugh, it was so childish how _his_ Yuushi was during times like this. Oshitari is usually so stoic and calm, but whenever he wants something he becomes obsessed and uncontrollable (in a good way). Whenever Mukahi sees his boyfriend in that passionate state he gets a hot, tingly feeling that spreads through his body like lightning.

Oshitari slide his hand from the counter onto Mukahi's thigh before moving towards something slightly more valuable. They had done this before; they actually did this a lot. Mukahi started it most of the time, but Oshitari also started his fair share of steamy nights.

"Yuushi, not here, we'll go upstairs if you want to fu–"

Oshitari took another sip of wine and covered Mukahi's mouth. They went on like this, Mukahi gasping, Oshitari demanding, it was like a tennis match to them. Trying to catch your breath before your opponent made their next move. It was all part of the game Oshitari was playing, a game which Mukahi didn't know the right rules for.

The wine was dribbling down their chins by the time Mukahi shuddered beneath Oshitari. The whole bottle was gone, most of it was feed to Mukahi, and Oshitari was left with one little problem. He looked down and groaned, okay, so it was one big problem.

"Gakuto, wake up," Oshitari slurred. He had drunken a far share and that bottle was rather tall. Mukahi, however, just continued to roll on the counter as he laid there on his side. Mukahi had lost the point, but Oshitari had lost the match.

Oshitari thought for a second, he could always take care of the problem himself, but then Mukahi would be upset (he thinks that if Oshitari does anything by himself it means he isn't good enough and wants to spice things up even more). But what else could he do? A cold shower was definitely not an option at this point. It's like anyone else stayed-

He smirked and stumbled upstairs.

*

Atobe was sitting on his bed with a book that he needed to read when the door to his room opened. Atobe glanced up and furrowed his brow. He closed the book and asked, "Why aren't you with Mukahi, Oshitari?"

"I don't want to be with Mukahi."

Atobe couldn't understand Oshitari normally because of his accent, but this was just ridiculously. Just as Atobe was about to ask for him to leave, Oshitari walked over and sat on the bed next to Atobe. Before the captain had any time to protest his lips were covered and he was on his back with his hands pinned above his head.

Atobe tried to push Oshitari away, but however he moved Oshitari just pressed do harder. Atobe's eyes widened when he realized just how aroused Oshitari was. Atobe's mind was screaming for him to chomp Oshitari's tongue off as it slithered its way into his mouth, but his body didn't seem to listen.

If there was one thing Atobe actually liked about going out with Oshitari, it was this, the kissing, the words he said that drifted into the bedroom's walls never to be spoke again, and the heat. Atobe never did have sex with him, though he did want to. Work always got in the way. It was always work.

When Oshitari pulled away both of the boys were panting. "Atobe..."

_This is wrong. He's dating Mukahi for crying out loud! But that tongue… no! _

Atobe tried to push him off again as Oshitari claimed his lips for a second time in a long time, but the genius mistook Atobe's struggles and mewls for "More! More!" Oshitari's kisses were sweet and rough like sugar; bitter sweet through and through.

Atobe stopped fighting. It wasn't that he gave in; he was just too fatigued to fight him off. Oshitari was all muscle from long hours of tennis practice while Atobe on the other hand had weakened since Nationals had ended by endless hours of sitting in front of his laptop screen watching everyone else practice.

Oshitari pulled away this time. "I heard something…"

Atobe pulled Oshitari by the back of his head, his work and conscious damned, and pulled him back down. "Shut up."

Oshitari pulled away from Atobe which was rather hard because he was still buzzed. He thought about going, but the wine blocked that thought in the back of his head when he kissed Atobe again.

Then the door opened.

"Stay down!" Atobe whispered harshly as he pushed Oshitari onto the floor and began to mentally pray Hiyoshi, Jirou, and Kabaji became blind during their walk.

The three boys gave Atobe a suspicious look as he dove for his book. "What's going o-"

Marui ran into Hiyoshi, interrupting him during the sentence that would have most likely caused Atobe to be sentenced to death. Talk about a death sentence. "Mukahi looks like he's about to barf up a tidal wave!"

The four boys' eyes went wide and they quickly rushed downstairs.

Atobe had never been happier to hear that Mukahi was plastered in his life.

*

Atobe's mind was racing when he had to go back up to his room. When Oshitari had come in he was wasted beyond belief just like Mukahi, what if he passed out on the floor? He wouldn't be able to explain that. Kabaji opened the door for his captain and Atobe felt a sense of ease wash over him when he realized Oshitari wasn't in there.

He sat on his bed and reached for his book and a sticky note that wasn't all that sticky fell out.

_Mukahi is nothing.  
-Oshitari_

Atobe crumpled the note into a tiny ball and shoved it into the drawer of his nightstand. Oshitari was drunk, both of them had made a mistake, and that's all Atobe could keep telling himself to avoid the painful truth that he really did like Oshitari touching him again (with or without Mukahi being in the picture).

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**A/N: If I had to name this chapter I would call it "Oshitari's epic quest to get rid of his hard on" but that's vulgar (though that's what happened). I know this chapter is so bad and so wrong, but I needed to get Atobe and Oshitari back together (only temporarily). **


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

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**Chapter 8 **

"What's for lunch?" Jirou asked as he sat next to Hiyoshi and Kabaji. Atobe jerked and shoved his hand under the table, but didn't say anything. The blonde gave Atobe a weird look, but then he realized that Oshitari was next to him and his hand was under the table too.

"Salad and soup," Oshitari replied smoothly.

Jirou nodded, slightly confused. He grabbed a bowl of French onion soup and ate in silence, listening to all of the conversations around him. Jirou wasn't stupid, he knew what Oshitari was doing, and it almost broke his heart. Atobe was with Oshtari again. Maybe that's why Mukahi got so drunk? Jirou wasn't sure what to think, he'd ask Mukahi later when he was sober.

Jirou stood up after finishing and made his way upstairs to find Marui. Talking to Marui always calmed Jirou down, mostly because he treated him like a person and not a hyperactive ball of joy and stupidity (unless he really was acting like a hyperactive ball of joy and stupidity). He knocked on the door that all of the Rikkaidai members were sleeping in and someone called for him to come in.

The room was just like the others, only instead of four single beds, it had four bunk beds. Niou and Marui were sitting on the bottom of two beds facing each other. Marui had his head dug into a pillow and Niou was lying on his side rolling his eyes.

"What's going on?" Jirou asked.

Marui lifted his head and shot Niou a death glare. The trickster rolled his eyes again. "Nothing, Jirou," Marui lied.

The blonde sat next to his bubble gum chewing friend and looked between Niou and Marui. "Who likes who?"

Marui turned his head so fast Jirou could've sworn he heard it crack and Niou simply raised an eyebrow. Marui blinked and looked at Niou again. "You told him?"

Jirou spoke before Niou had the chance. "No one told me anything, I just got used to figuring stuff like that." He didn't mention that it was because he was going through something like that. "So, Marui, who is it?"

"Akaya," Marui mumbled as he dug his head back into his pillow.

"You like Kirihara?" Jirou was shocked. Whenever he went to see Marui play matches he never gave the second year any extra treatment than he did any other regular member. Jirou gave up trying to figure out, he must have missed it is all, no one is perfect.

Niou waved his hand, almost as if he was dismissing the subject. "He has for a couple of weeks, sometime during the UC thing. What's pissing me off is that he won't tell the guy."

"He's straight!" Marui was gripping the pillow so hard his knuckles were changing color.

Niou rolled his eyes again, something he did so often it was a gesture like a smile or a sigh. "Yeah, and you're a virgin."

"Shut up!" Marui tossed his pillow at Niou so hard it looked like it would hurt if it was anything besides a pillow. Niou rubbed his head and tossed the pillow behind his head, it landed on the floor with a flump.

Jirou saw the tension between the two and decided that if this went on it wouldn't be pretty. Though Marui and Niou are close friends, they often fight and when they do it isn't pretty. Everyone knew that Niou was famous for his pranks, whenever they fought Marui suddenly became his new target. Not every prank is as innocent as putting a sleeping guy's hand in warm water.

"I think you should tell him," Jirou said, trying to break the stress that was making the room shrink with each passing second. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen? He says no? You should just go for it."

Jirou knew he was trying to convince himself and not Marui, but the pink haired boy didn't seem to catch on to that. Marui sat there in silence and Niou looked at Jirou and held up three fingers, slowly lowering each one. The second Niou's last finger fell Marui bite his lip and said, "How do I tell him?"

Jirou looked at Niou who quickly shrugged, silently saying that he knew the boy that well, and looked back at his friend. "Well, you need to worry about what you're wearing first."

Marui looked down at his pale yellow shirt, the one with a dancing pickle, and black athletic shorts. "What's wrong with this?"

Niou almost laughed. "Please, he's seen yellow all year, he's so sick of it it's almost funny."

Marui had to agree with that. Yellow was their color, their pride, their life, but you do get sick of that dark mustard yellow after a year or two.

"So what do I wear?" Marui asked.

Jirou smiled and stuck his head out a bit to look Marui up and down. "Hm… I'd say blue, purple or orange." The boys gave him weird looks. "I go to Hyotei, the school where appearance is everything. You learn by the second semester of your first year to dress up or be shunned."

"I'll try some stuff on and then show you I guess." Niou got up and began to leave the room. When Jirou didn't Marui turned to him. "Um… could you wait in the hall?"

Jirou was confused but followed Niou out nonetheless. As he closed the door behind him Niou patted Jirou on the back and said, "Nothing personal, he's just shy like that. Actually, I think it's just me. We can't even be in the shower room together anymore."

"Why?" Jirou was honestly just curious because Marui hadn't mentioned anything and for a guy to care if another guy was watching him change is a pretty big thing (so says the boy who blushed after seeing Atobe naked).

"It's a long story." Niou darted his eyes to the floor as he leaned against the wall. He pushed his hands into his sweatshirt's belly pocket and crossed his legs. Jirou squinted his eyes a bit as if he was tired and not studying the trickster's every movement – which he was.

"Since when?"

Niou looked up just to say, "Since when what?"

Jirou rolled his eyes and cocked his head to his right. "Since when have you liked Marui?"

Niou hesitated, something he never did (on the courts or off). "A while."

"Then why are you-"

Before Jirou could finish Marui opened the door and twirled in front of them. He was wearing three layers of thin-strap tank tops (some people call them man bras – the equivalent of a camisole); the bottom one was white, the second one was a dark purple, and the top was a bright orange. For his lower half he was wearing black athletic shorts.

"Change. Now." Jirou didn't see what was wrong with what Marui was wearing, but apparently Niou hated it.

"Why?" Marui asked as he pulled at the orange man bra. "I think it looks okay…"

"Okay my ass, it looks like a rainbow threw up on you." Jirou had to agree once Niou put it that way. Niou was blunt but when you're dealing with Marui you do need to be blunt. Marui threw his hands up in the air and walked back into his room after popping a bubble.

Niou rolled his eyes. "So, seen any good movies?" Jirou glared at him. "Fine, what were you asking?"

"Why are you helping Marui hook up with Kirihara if you like him?"

"Simple," Niou began, "he doesn't like me back so there's no point. Last year after Nationals Yukimura had a party at his house and we both got so drunk we walked out wearing each other's clothes because we couldn't remember which set belonged to whom. See, we ended up having sex, and well, to be blunt, things got awkward because as it turns out neither of us had had sex and Marui got hurt, bad. We somehow managed to stay friends, but it was just weird for us, it still is."

Jirou didn't know what to say, no one on Hyotei had this problem. One night stands were usually something that people bragged about (depending on who it was with). Besides, Jirou always pegged Niou as the guy to brag about his conquests with ladies. He never expected him to have had sex with a guy, let alone lose his virginity to one.

Niou gave Jirou a shy smile. "Just don't tell anyone."

Jirou nodded and then Marui walked out again, this time with Yanagi's briefs on his head, no shirt, and khaki shorts. "This better?"

Niou laughed and shook his head. His eyes were teary; Jirou wasn't sure if it was because he was laughing, or if he was crying.

"Grab that blue t-shirt you like to work out in and look in the top drawer on the right, grab my new blue jeans, they should fit."

Marui nodded and went back into his room.

"You'll be happier if you tell him," Jirou said truthfully. He knew he would feel better if you just told Atobe (he's working on it… talking with Muahi comes first).

"I'd rather go through life seeing him happy than lose his friendship by telling him."

Jirou didn't say anything, at least not until Marui walked out in what Niou had instructed him to wear. "So, how are you going to tell him?"

Marui looked at the ground. "I don't know."

Niou groaned and grabbed both of Marui's shoulders before shaking him back and forth. "Just tell him already! You don't need a speech or anything!"

Jirou didn't say a word to Niou who glanced at him as he tried to force some sort of confidence in Marui.

*

Marui bite his lip as he rocked back and forth on his feet. Niou told Kirihara to meet him by the fireplace on the second floor in five minutes and Marui was nervous beyond words. Just when Marui turned to run away Kirihara poked him on his shoulder.

"Whatcha need, sempai?" Kirihara was always polite off the courts; it was still weird to Marui how such a nice boy could be so evil when it came to something as simple as tennis.

"Um…" Marui stopped chewing on his lip and smiled at his kouhai. "I like you."

The ace blinked. "Well, I knew that. I like you too, sempai. I'm glad we're friends. Listen, Hiyoshi and Echizen are waiting for me downstairs, can I go if you don't need anything else?"

Marui looked like he was about to cry, but he smiled anyways and nodded and told Kirihara that he could go. Marui shook his head as he watched the second year run downstairs. Marui sat on the rug beneath him and waited for Niou's teasing. He was shocked when Niou didn't do anything but help him up.

"I screwed up." Marui could only look at the ground.

Niou sighed and let go of Marui's hand once he got his balance. "Don't worry, he's so stupid you could tell him next week and he would've probably already forgotten about today."

Jirou glanced over from the corner he was sitting at, he had watching TV with Eiji, Kaidoh, and Taka, but now he was watching Niou pat Marui on the shoulder and walk into their room. Niou closed the door behind them and Jirou turned back to the TV.

_That won't be me. I won't stand by. I'll tell him, I'll tell him as soon as I talk to Mukahi._

_

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**A/N: I have no idea how I managed to make **_**this**_** chapter 2,000 words (I'm trying to get around 2,000 words for a chapter). Anyways, I know nothing really happened in this chapter, but the next chapter is when Jirou talks to Mukahi. I just had to do this chapter because… I can't say without ruining a lot of the last chapter (I write the last chapter to stories first so I only need to fill in the blanks).**


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

**Note: Jirou is OOC in this chapter, just how he talks mostly. I just couldn't word what he was saying any other way.**

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**Chapter 9**

Jirou knocked on the door of the room Mukahi was sleeping in and Shishido opened it a second later. Jirou waved to Ohtori who was smiling behind his partner. Their room was identical to his own; four regular beds.

"Can you watch over Mukahi? He's awake now and if I need make any more coffee I swear I'm going to punch him," Shishido hissed as he looked over his shoulder at Mukahi who was lying on the bed with an angry expression.

Jirou nodded and moved out of the way so the two could leave. They nodded and Jirou walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

He didn't know what he was going to ask his friend, he couldn't just ask if him and Oshitari broke up because if they hadn't he would look suspicious. But then again, he couldn't just say he thought Oshitari was giving Atobe a hand job underneath the table during lunch. Every way he put it, it went straight back to Jirou being screwed.

"Oh, hey Jirou," Mukahi said in his usual tone as he sat up and grabbed a blue mug from his nightstand. It was probably coffee or some weird "amazing cure" Inui and Yanagi came up with because Jirou doubted that even Atobe had the money to find a cure for a hangover.

"What do you want? You never talk to me when I'm hung over."

Jirou froze for a moment and then rubbed his head nervously as he slowly began to walk over to the bed that was oddly close to Mukahi's. _Oshitari's_, Jirou thought as he sat down. He tried not to think about what was going on when he called the other day because he really didn't want to stand when he talked to Mukahi about this.

"Well…" Jirou bit his lip and looked at Mukahi's nose instead of his eyes, a trick he learned to help him lie and avoid awkward conversations such as this. "How are things with you and Oshitari?"

Mukahi shrugged. "Okay. Why? Did something happen?"

Jirou's mind was spiraling with thoughts to reply with. He didn't know which one to use so he just blurted whatever it was that came out of his mouth. "I was just trying to figure out why you drank so much is all."

The acrobat smirked and lied back down, casually placing his hands under his head. "Why wouldn't I drink Atobe's fancy imported wine? Seriously, that stuff is the shit."

"Good, I thought something was wrong."

"Why would you think that?"

_I say your boyfriend jerking Atobe off._

"I don't know, Oshitari just seemed worried is all," Jirou lied.

Mukahi laughed and smiled at Jirou. "Because I passed out before he could finish." Jirou made an odd face and Mukahi rolled his eyes. "God, you're such a virgin sometimes."

"Uh, I am a virgin," Jirou pointed out.

Mukahi shrugged and looked back up at the wood ceiling. "That's no excuse. Oh, and while you're here, do you think I made a mistake? Going out with Yuushi?"

Jirou didn't know what to say. When Mukahi told him about his master plan to make Atobe jealous for hurting Oshitari, Jirou laughed at him and tried to stop him when he actually decided to go through with it.

"That was random. Why are you asking?" Mukahi didn't answer. "Well, if you love him then don't worry about it. You do love him, right?"

Mukahi turned on his side and waited a second, he probably got dizzy. Then he smiled and Jirou saw a bit of his old friend in that smile, a bit of the innocent, non-vulgar, clueless Mukahi he used to know. The only Mukahi he knew now was rude, vulgar, and selfish. Jirou missed how his friend used to act, a lot of people did, but no one ever told him – they all knew that he was happy now and didn't want to ruin that for him.

"Yeah, I love him." Mukahi was glowing up a storm. Jirou wanted to laugh because of that was one stupid smile, but he kept it in.

"Then why do you think you made a mistake? You're having fun, aren't you?"

Mukahi gave a weird smile, something that told Jirou he really didn't want to know, but nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"Then forget it. If you really love him and are having fun then what's there to regret?"

"Going out with him to make Atobe jealous." Jirou knew that Mukahi wasn't finished because he just paused to get another sip of coffee. "I mean, I just keep thinking that I only started to like him after going out with him. Now I might just keep confusing love with lust."

"Maybe you didn't realize your feelings because you never thought about thinking about him like that. Did that make sense?" Mukahi shook his head. Jirou sighed and pulled his legs onto the bed, sitting Indian style (criss-cross apple sauce or whatever they used to call it in kindergarten). He began to rock back and forth as he tried to think of a better way to word it.

"I mean, you thought of him as a friend and wanted to help him because he's a friend, right?" Mukahi gave him a _duh_ look. "Then maybe you liked him once you stopped thinking about him as a friend. If he wasn't your partner and was actually just some guy at school then maybe you would've realized you loved him earlier."

"Love, not loved," Mukahi corrected – he's picky about things like that. Jirou apologized quickly.

Jirou wasn't really listening when Mukahi continued. He was too busy thinking about Oshitari and Atobe. If they weren't doing… _that_, then what were they doing? Jirou didn't have a clue, so he just nodded to Mukahi occasionally and thought of different possibilities.

_Thumb war? No. What if Oshitari was cleaning Atobe's pants and Atobe was clearing Oshitari's? No way. But Oshitari wouldn't cheat on Mukahi… would he?_

He glanced up and saw that Mukahi had stopped talking and was looking at him with a huge smile. Jirou flushed and asked if there was something wrong. "Want to do a threesome with me and Yuushi? It really doesn't hurt once you get the first time out of the way."

Jirou rolled his eyes and reached behind him. He tossed a pillow at his friend and left after saying, "when pigs fly" to Mukahi's perverted idea. He _really_ didn't like the new Mukahi, he really did miss the old one, and Jirou couldn't stop his mind from thinking it was all Oshitari's fault. It was his fault for tainting his semi-innocent friend.

He thought about Niou again and what he had told him about being happy. It was like what was going on with Mukahi and Jirou shouldn't want to ruin his friend's happiness. He couldn't do anything as long as he didn't have any proof that Oshitari was cheating. So, until then, he would just sit by and watch his friend go on with his life and be clueless all because he didn't have the guts to break his heart.

*

Jirou waited for Oshitari and Atobe to show up for dinner that night. He was there the second it was plated to the second it was cleaned it. Neither of the boys showed up and Jirou had accomplished nothing besides his butt hurting from sitting for an hour. He had planned on catching them in the act or actually just asking Atobe (he really didn't want to do that), but apparently he never got the chance.

He sighed and walked up to his room and when he did he noticed that Hiyoshi was watching TV, so was Mukahi and Kabaji. Jirou shrugged it off as an odd coincidence and went to his room, but when he opened the door his eyes almost melted out of their sockets and puddle at his feet.

Oshitari was sitting on Atobe's lap and Atobe was missing his shirt (a site Jirou would like, but in this moment he didn't find that fact helpful), and they were –ew. Tongues should not do that and neither should hands unless the door is locked and they are out of their minds.

He quickly closed the door behind them, hoping the loud bang would make them get off of each other. Jirou quickly went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He rubbed his face with his hands, hoping he would wake up from this nightmare, but he didn't. Jirou finally realized what was going on and ran his fingers through his hair.

_Okay, so Atobe is making out with Oshitari behind Mukahi's back in our room without locking the freakin' door, Oshitari is willingly cheating on my best friend, I might be gay for Atobe, and I have to walk around like I don't know a thing. Oh, this will be fuuuun._

_

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**A/N:** **Gah! So short! I didn't know what else to have them do and I think the rest would just be pointless fluffy crap so I decided not to put anything else. The next chapter is like 3,000 words so it makes up for this being short.**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. **

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**Chapter 10**

Atobe had to get Oshitari to crawl out the window when they heard the door close. Both boys hoped it wasn't Mukahi or Shishido or anyone for that matter… they hoped it was Charlie the ghost because at least he wouldn't tell anyone. Oshitari didn't seem as worried as Atobe; he actually seemed to like the thought of a hidden romance.

_This is so wrong_, Atobe kept telling himself as he stared at the ceiling instead of sleeping.

Atobe somehow managed to wake up early (probably because he never fell to sleep in the first place) and take a shower. He noticed that no one was waiting in line so he figured he was just up early. Since there was no fighting so Atobe used so much hot water his skin was red. He rubbed his wet hair with a towel as he walked out of the bathroom. He walked down the hall and saw just way there was no death battle; everyone was staring out the window in a mob. Atobe glanced over and saw Inui, Yanagi, Tezuka, and Fuji sitting in the beanbags watching TV.

"What's going on?" Atobe asked Tezuka casually, trying to get the thought that anyone could have seen him and Oshitari last night out of his head. Tezuka glanced up at Atobe and pointed to the TV. Atobe hated how Tezuka never spoke unless he needed to; he seemed too heartless like that. Why couldn't he have a normal rival?

"_Those thunderstorms from last night look like they'll hit hard around five this afternoon. Scattered storms have been reported all across Japan. Please stay away from windows and avoid the outdoors if the sky is dark. Now, back to the morning news."_

Atobe looked over at the boys who were standing at the window. "Move!" Momo yelled as he pushed his way to the front. He pressed his face against the window and looked up. "Yup, it's pitch black!

_Great_, Atobe thought, _half of them are going to die because they stood by the windows! _

Atobe shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts as he made it back to his room. He sat on his bed and pulled open his laptop and began to type a letter to Sakaki asking them what they should do (they were planning a picnic). Atobe closed his laptop and returned back to the foyer to tell those morons to get away from the window.

*

Atobe tapped his foot impatiently and Kabaji was standing against the door, preventing anyone from coming in. Sometimes Sakaki just really got on his nervous. If he wanted to keep such a close eye on his team wouldn't he pick up when the captain is calling him?

"_Atobe?"_ Atobe knew he was irritated by how he was hissing through his teeth.

"Yes, I called you because it –"

Sakaki interrupted and Atobe only caught the first few words, "Why the hell," because he pulled the phone away from his ear. Five seconds later he figured it was safe and slowly brought it back to his face.

"Listen, it's going to rain, sensei." Atobe hated calling him "sensei" because no man who acts like a pig should be a teacher, let alone treated like one. "You had planned for us to go on a picnic and I need to know what we're doing. I sent you an email two hours ago, but you have yet to respond."

"_I was on a date."_

_At nine in the morning? Yeah right, you were probably over at some slut's house._

Atobe nodded, he learned that mimicking gestures helped him keep his true thoughts in line and not blurt out whatever popped into his head. "I'm sure that it went well, but I really need to know what you wish for us to do."

Sakaki told him to wait a moment and Atobe rolled his eyes. Kabaji gave him a sympathetic look when Atobe held his phone out and almost chucked it at the wall.

"_Atobe?"_

Atobe quickly pulled the phone back to his ear. "Yes?"

"_You will be having a movie marathon starting at two until everyone is asleep. I assume that dinner is within that time so have one of your servants prepare something and bring it to you. Do you understand?"_

Atobe hated how Sakaki said servants. They were people with jobs, not slaves. Atobe forced himself to nod and smile. "Yes, I understand."

Sakaki hung up without saying another word.

Atobe shut his phone shut and tossed it onto his bed. He was planning to just leave, but then he thought that it would be better to just ask it.

"Kabaji?" The second year looked up. "Did you come into our room last night and see… something?" Kabaji looked confused. Atobe let out a sigh of relief.

"Why?"

Atobe's whole body became stiff. "No reason, forget I said anything."

He brushed by Kabaji who knew better than to follow him after he just finished talking to Sakaki (or asking him a question that he says to forget), and made his way down into the kitchen. Luckily, Atobe ran into the chef just as she finished placing breakfast on the table.

"Ah, Keigo-kun, what do you need?" she asked kindly.

Atobe explained the situation about the movies and asked her if it would be possible to just have a bunch of finger foods and pizza instead of a full blown meal. She agreed and the two of them began to work on a list as the other boys began to filter in and out to get their breakfast.

"Why don't you get something to eat? A growing boy needs to eat."

Atobe glanced up from their list, they had about a dozen or so things written down as well as another list of things they'll need for the picnic that was rescheduled for tomorrow. He smiled politely at her and rose from his seat.

"I'm fine, but I do need to get back to work."

She sighed and grabbed the list, slipping it into her white coat's pocket. "Well, whatever you say. Just promise me that you'll get something later?"

He promised her he would later before going upstairs to work.

*

When the first person came to ask Atobe why there wasn't lunch he explained it. When the second person came he explained it again. Somewhere along the fifth person, he decided to lock his door.

Not a good idea.

Now at least a dozen boys (Atobe lost count of who was yelling at him) were banging on his door. Atobe really wished that Kabaji was in there so he could explain, but Kabaji was the fourth person to ask and left to go talk with Hiyoshi and Ohtori.

"Open up, Atobe!" Shishido yelled again.

Atobe groaned and shut his laptop. He slide off the bed and walked over to the door. He unlocked it quickly and pulled it open so fast that Eiji and Kirihara fell onto the floor by his feet. He looked at the boys and noticed that Tezuka and Yukimura weren't even there for ground control. Pathetic.

"There is no lunch or dinner. We're getting pizza in an hour and will be watching movies until we pass out. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to do." Atobe slammed the door in their faces (after Eiji and Kirihara were dragged out by their teammates).

No one bothered Atobe after that. He worked diligently for the next hour until Kabaji came into the room to tell him that it was time to start to movies and that the chef had prepared the pizzas. Atobe showed up by the TV and beanbags ten minutes later after finishing up another estimate for Sakaki.

The boys were spread out on the bags with tons of pizzas lying around besides bags of chips and sodas. The junk food was probably the one thing everyone on the trip liked the most because they usually can't eat things that are bad for them because it's, well, bad for them.

Atobe walked up to the TV and quickly put in some random DVD that was lying in front of it and sat down as far away from Oshitari and Mukahi as possible. Atobe was glad that Mukahi was feeling better because he hoped that Oshtiari would stop bothering him.

As Tezuka turned off the lights Atobe glanced out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Oshitari wasn't as nearly interested in the movie as his boyfriend. Atobe quickly adverted his eyes from the tensai's lustful gaze and focused on the movie.

About half way through the third movie (this time it was some sappy romance) rain began to pound on the roof. Atobe wiggled in his skin and Kabaji glanced at him, but Atobe didn't pay any attention. When the lightning started Atobe and several others would jump from the shock of the thunder.

"I need to work on a couple of things," Atobe mumbled as he stood up and walked back to his room. No one really seemed to notice besides Kabaji, Yukimura, Oshitari, and Jirou.

"Should I make sure he's okay?" Oshitari asked Yukimura quietly.

Yukimura pressed his lips together and then shook his head. "He's probably just reporting to Sakaki or something. He'll be fine."

Jirou was oddly glad that Yukimura told Oshitari not to go. Then he remembered that he's the only one who knows about them (that he knows of) and felt oddly depressed again. Mukahi was smiling and laughing as he tugged at Oshitari's shirt, but in an instant Jirou felt a bit of worry shoot through his body.

Jirou stood up without saying a word and made his way back to his room. He was unusually tired. He had cut back on his naps since everything with Atobe started, but he knew it was more than that. He hoped that a good nap would clear his worried mind. He hoped a nap would clear the nauseous feeling that was growing stronger as he reached the door.

He flinched as the thunder clashed outside. He opened the door and saw the flash of the lightning through the windows. He walked in and expected to see Atobe sitting on his bed with his laptop so he was surprised when he saw Atobe sitting there with his headphones in while he clenched the sheets that were covering his body.

"Atobe?" Jirou was speaking just above a whisper and Atobe didn't hear him. The thunder clashed again and Atobe pulled the sheets up over his head. Jirou furrowed his brow and walked over and gently placed a hand on what he hoped was his back. Atobe shot up and almost screamed, but when he saw Jirou he just let out long breath.

"Are you okay?" Jirou was worried about Atobe for the first time in his life. While he had known Atobe for three years, Jirou always thought that he was in control, that he wasn't afraid of nothing. Now he wasn't sure what to think.

Atobe shook his head and then lied back down and pulled the sheets over his head as the thunder roared again. Jirou sat there in silence, the only sound filling the room was the rain falling and the faint mummer of Atobe's music. Jirou kneeled down next to Atobe's bed and reached around in the dark for the edge of the bed.

"Don't worry, Atobe. I'm here now so you can sleep, okay?"

Jirou had never thought that Atobe was afraid of storms. He had always played in the rain, but – Jirou remembered that once, during their second year, there was a terrible storm and Atobe didn't show up to school the day after. Maybe he had always been afraid and Jirou never realized it. He hadn't realized a lot of things lately.

Atobe nodded slowly and forced his eyes shut as the lightning blinked, illuminating the room for no more than a second. Jirou set his head down on Atobe's legs that were by the edge of the bed and watched as Atobe eased into his sleep.

For that moment in time Jirou seemed to forget about everything with Oshitari and just saw Atobe. But he saw him as a frightened little kid and not as the workaholic man he looked up to. Jirou smiled at the thought of chibi Atobe and whispered, "Good night," into the silent darkness.

*

_Atobe winched as his father's hand slammed into his cheek. Whenever he hit him, Atobe felt like he was frozen in time, frozen in pain. He kneed Atobe right above his waist and Atobe fell to his knees in defeat, forced to look up at a man he hated with all his heart._

_The lightning blinked in the distance._

_His father looked down at Atobe and then over to his wife who was standing in the corner of his study with a pure terror written all over her face. He took a step towards her and Atobe stood up again, jolting towards his father._

_The thunder laughed a spine chilling roar._

_Atobe found himself on the ground again, with his face looking down at him again. He spat on the ground in front of him, looked over his shoulder at his wife who was shaking, and walked out of the room._

_The rain danced against the roof in agony and pain._

_The woman walked over to Atobe and ran her hand down the red marks on his cheek. She hugged him before he could say a word and smiled at him as tears ran down her face._

"_Keigo? Are you okay?"_

"_Mom…"_

_Everything went dark like the sky._

*

Atobe sat up and felt an odd weight on his legs. He looked down and saw that Jirou's arms were limped over him like a monkey's as he drooled onto the bed sheets. Atobe smiled and rubbed Jirou's curly blonde hair. He bit his lip and quickly drew back his hand when Jirou moved a little, but he didn't say anything and just continued to sleep.

Atobe just sat there in silence, looking into the darkness of his room and wished he could go back to his dream because sometimes he wished he could hear his mother's voice before blacking out or before she blacked out. It was hard for him, knowing that they had to leave everything to escape. It was even harder for him to keep it a secret from everyone (even Kabaji didn't know). He couldn't tell them even if he wanted to, if he did his father might find out and they might be able to get away from him.

He glanced over at his nightstand and just stared at his phone. He had never needed to hear her voice so much. He reached out and grabbed it, flipping its screen open, hoping the soft glow it produced wouldn't disturb Jirou.

_Jirou…_

Atobe shook his head; he couldn't feel guilty about not telling people. Not now. Not when he was less than two months away from the happiness he's been deprived his whole life. Not when he was lying about more than just his plans to go away.

He scrolled through his contacts and waited. Atobe held his breath as the phone in his hand ringed. He was shaking and he couldn't help it. He had been there for her, helping her with her treatments and arranging for her to have the best doctors, but never once had he called her since she was hospitalized.

"_Hello?" _Her voice was cracked and tired like an old man on the verge of death.

"Hey." Atobe was trying not to cry. Though his mother's voice is nothing like the strong, hopefully tune he once knew, it was still good to hear her voice again.

"_Keigo?" _He could see her smile now and the thought made his lips twitch into a soft smile that could make a murderer turn good. _"Is everything alright? Did that man hurt you again? It's so early."_

Atobe stopped smiling as she said "that man." He hated him so much; he didn't even want to talk about his father to her. After all, he's the one who put her in that awful place.

"No, father didn't hurt me, he doesn't even know where I am. Actually, I'm camping with some friends up in the old cabin. Auntie leant it to me."

She let out a long sigh. _"Is that captain or coach or whoever making you camp? He's always taking advantage of you, why don't you –" _She didn't finish and Atobe knew it was better not to talk. A second later she said, _"I'm so sorry, Keigo, but I need to go now. They need to run more tests."_

"By tests do you mean surgery?" She didn't answer. "I'll take that as a yes. Mom, what happened to you, to our family?"

"_I had a wonderful son who my husband saw as a threat because he was better at the age of two than he was at thirty."_

Atobe smiled and felt warmth spread through his body (a mother's love does that). "Good luck, promise me you'll be okay so we can go away."

"_I promise we'll get away, I never go back on my word. I love you more than you'll ever know, Keigo."_

"I love you too, mom. Bye." He hung up and just stared at his phone. That was the first time he had spoken to her in a month and all he found out was that she was getting another surgery. He sighed and looked back to Jirou who was still fast asleep. He set down his phone and grabbed his laptop and began to work once again.

Jirou shifted and tried to keep pretending to be asleep, but he wasn't so sure just how he was going to do that with Atobe sitting right by him. He wasn't that good of an actor and he was already freaking out mentally over the fact that Atobe's mother is in the hospital that he knew and that Atobe hadn't told a soul (well, maybe Kabaji). Just how was he supposed to stay quiet until Atobe tried to wake him from his false slumber?

He hopped it wasn't long.

* * *

**A/N: I know the transitions into the movie aren't all that good, but I literally had to force myself to write the first half of this. Anyways, in the second chapter (someone had pointed this out) Atobe said (thought, whatever), "****In less than two months, we'll**** be free." He was talking about him and his mom, from his father… **

**I wrote this during a middle of a storm and my laptop's charger kept going on and off and that just pissed me off. Anyways, I'm never writing a thunder scene again!**

**Oh (yes, there's more) I don't have the next couple of chapters written like I previously have so in addition to my whole "slow updates because of school" I actually need to write them now... Err... Sorry? Anyways, they should still be weekly or biweekly.  
**

**Yeah… I need to stop abusing author's notes.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: I did not write a large portion of this (just a small like downhill mud race) so it may seem like I random stopped it, but I didn't. **

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**Chapter 11**

Jirou had actually fallen asleep after listening to an hour of the soft clicking of Atobe's laptop. The thought of Atobe being next to him while he slept soothed him into a soft dream. Jirou's dreams were usually pleasant, _usually_. In this particular dream, Jirou was in the middle of a grass field surrounded by mountains. Flowers would grow whenever he took a step and butterflies would fly into the air whenever he breathed as though he was trying to fog up a car window. Just as a monarch perched itself on the bridge of his nose there was an earthquake.

Sort of.

Atobe was trying to shake him awake since just talking to him didn't work. He took a long blink to keep himself awake as Jirou slowly lifted his head and looked around. He quickly realized that he was on the floor by Atobe's bed and that no one else was in the room.

"What time is it?" Jirou asked as he held back a yawn and stretched.

Atobe said something, but Jirou wasn't really sure because he was still half asleep. Jirou just nodded and pushed himself up and rubbed his eyes as he walked over to his dresser. He pulled out jeans and a white polo and a fresh pair of boxers. He mumbled a "good morning" to Hiyoshi who had just finished his shower and was walking in as he was walking out.

Hiyoshi glanced over at Atobe as he reached for his cell phone that was on his bed and shoved it in his pocket. "What's wrong with everyone? First Mukahi-sempai gets drunk. Now Jirou-sempai isn't taking naps anymore. And you're working more than ever, buchou."

_Oh, yes, Mukahi was getting drunk with his boyfriend who came up to me after words because he couldn't get his rocks off himself, I'm too busy to notice Jirou because Sakaki is making me work like a mosquito in a nudist colony while I deal with my mother's constant surgeries which wouldn't be necessary if my father didn't beat us whenever we couldn't make him happy._

Yeah, right, like that would work.

Atobe simply shrugged and reached for his laptop. "How should I know? I'm not in charge of them."

"But aren't you in charge of me?"

Atobe really wanted to tell Hiyoshi to shut the hell up and go do whatever he is with Ohtori and Kirihara and whoever else he hangs out with because he really wasn't in the mood.

"Why don't you go be useful and find Tezuka or Yukimura for me? I need to discuss the plans for today's picnic with them and I need to finish this before day."

Hiyoshi nodded and waved over his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

Atobe rolled his eyes at the door after Hiyoshi basically slammed it shut. He knew Hiyoshi was going to make the best captain, but if he kept up that attitude he wouldn't be captain. Not with Sakaki around at least. Atobe hated how Sakaki didn't even care about tennis sometimes.

Atobe was glad to see that Hiyoshi did send Yukimura and Tezuka up to their room. At least he had some chance of becoming captain. Atobe set his laptop down and looked at the other two. He explained the list of foods and drinks the chef was preparing for the trip, and then Yukimura went on to say that it was really muddy and that if they could find some tubes then maybe they could go tubing down a hill or something of the sort.

"That seems like a good idea," Tezuka agreed. "We could even split us between teams and hold races."

Yukimura smiled. "Oh, I like that. What do you think, Atobe?"

Atobe thought about it for a second. He really didn't want to get covered in mud, but he knew that most of his team (Jirou especially) would enjoy that. He agreed and then the other two captains left to go and find the rubes that Atobe said were in a closet on the first floor.

Atobe kept working and skipped breakfast like he had been the past couple of days. Kabaji had walked in and offered to bring him something, but Atobe turned down his friend's generous offer. A couple of minutes later he heard a faint knock and glanced up to see Oshitari leaning against the frame of his door.

Atobe shook his head grimly and shut his laptop. He got up and pushed past Oshitari, not wanting to take it any farther or make the situation any worse. He was human, he was allowed to make mistakes, and he was allowed to stop something he didn't want to continue.

Oshitari didn't agree with him.

The genius grabbed Atobe by the wrist and swiftly tugged him back into the room and closed the door as he pushed him onto the floor. This time he locked it. He looked down at Atobe and shook his head before crossing his arms. He smirked as his blinks became longer and alluring.

Atobe still refused and stood up and reached for the knob, but Oshitari grabbed his wrist again and pushed Atobe hard against the door before doing the same to his lips. Atobe felt his knees go weak, he hated Oshitari, but he couldn't bring himself to hate the way he kissed.

Someone knocked on the door and Oshitari pulled away for a second.

"Atobe? Can I come in?"

Atobe felt his stomach sink and his throat go dry. "Jirou?"

He heard a sigh and another knock. "Yeah, it's me. I just want to get my ipod, me and some other guys are going for a jog and I need music."

Atobe looked at Oshitari who didn't move back, he moved forward. He nipped at Atobe's ear despite how much Atobe kicked and pushed.

"Uh… now's really not a good time."

"Come on! When is a good time for you?"

_When I'm not one second away from being raped!_

Atobe didn't speak before thinking because of those infamous speeches he was known for giving had been engraved into his teeth. "Jirou! I'm telling you that I am busy and if you wish to bother me then come back at another time!"

Atobe hated yelling at his team, most of the time he only did it because Sakaki was watching; he rarely did when they weren't. Atobe continued to push against Oshitari and didn't even notice the faint sound of Jirou's footsteps as he walked away. Oshitari wasted no time in picking up where they had left off the earlier night.

He himself wasn't even sure why he was so attracted to Atobe, probably the same reason that makes him fall for almost every girl and half decent looking guy in the school; he was bored. He had everything from grades to tennis to his health to his wealth. But the one thing he never had was someone to hold and know he existed. Sure, Oshitari has had his fair share of affairs (more than fair depending on who you ask), but they never got old. The excitement, the heat, it was almost like lying and lust were made for Oshitari Yuushi.

Atobe pushed one last time and apparently that last time was enough to push Oshitari off of him long enough to get out of the room and sprint the short distance to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and hoped he could stay in there forever.

Oshitari smirked. After all, it wouldn't be fun to hunt without the chase. He gently closed the bedroom door and casually picked up Atobe's laptop. He opened it and saw multiple internet windows, all with multiple tabs. He spotted a few word documents and decided to pull up a new one. He quickly typed a short message and then smiled contently as he set Atobe's laptop back where it was.

It really was just a game to him.

*

"Hurry up, Marui, Jirou!" Sanada and Yukimura yelled from the front of the pack.

Ok, so when Jirou said "me and some guys," he meant "me and the Spartastic assholes of Rikkai Dai." He knew they were hardcore with their training – how else could they have managed to win two straight Nationals? – but this was just ridiculous. They weren't jogging; they were sprinting like a mad dog was chasing them. Jirou and Marui had been in the back. The blonde realized his friend was out of sorts, but he figured it would pass. Or at least he hoped it would pass because Jirou was starting to fear that if he kept up that speed then he might not make it to the end of the year.

"How do you deal with this?" Jirou huffed as he caught up to Niou who was going along steadily without even losing his breath.

He shrugged. "Believe it or not, Yukimura's not that bad of a guy. He may be strict as hell and I may have been very tempted to kill him on several occasions, but he's always held true to his word."

"Niou-kun," Yagyuu began as he turned around and still managed to jog (Jirou was shocked and oddly amazed to say the least), "don't you think flattering Yukimura will only make your situation with him and Sanada worse?"

Niou wrinkled his nose and Jirou shot him a confused look. "Sanada?"

"Yeah," Niou said with a sigh. "I went and pissed buchou off by mentioning that Seigaku has a better athletics program than our school."

"Sanada?" Jirou asked again.

"I'm getting to it!" Niou yelled. He waited a moment for Sanada and Yukimura to stop looking to continue. "Sanada is going to take over his family's dojo once he's out of college, but he needs to be in the best physical shape to do so. So –"

"So," Marui interrupted, "when Sanada heard that Seigaku had a better athletics program – meaning he can get into a university with an awesome program – he jumped at the chance. Now Sanada's been getting all buddy-buddy with Tezuka and Yukimura isn't all that happy."

That was new news to Jirou. Fuji hadn't mentioned anything to him (not like they talk on a regular basis anyways), but he didn't hear any rumors about it either. He hadn't noticed anything wrong with the way they were acting either. Jirou sighed mentally; he really was starting to pass everyone else by while he tried to keep Atobe, Oshitari, and Mukahi out of his mind.

The rest of their jog was finished in silence unless you count the captain's orders to hurry up. When the boys got back to the cabin the only thing they wanted to do was take a shower, get some food, and sleep. But that wasn't going to happen. The second they got back, Momo and Eiji nearly pushed them right back out.

"Is it time for the picnic already?" Yukimura asked as he glanced down at his watch.

Tezuka pushed his way through the crowd and nodded. "Yes, it is time. Atobe and the rest of Hyotei as already headed down to the hill where it's being held."

Yukimura nodded and began to walk away. The rest of Rikkaidai groaned as they dragged their feet. They really didn't want to have a picnic and sit in the grass while they were all sweat, but then they saw the lake. Yukimura and Tezuka stopped the group and quickly explained what they were doing.

"Teams?" Oishi questioned. He liked the idea, he just didn't think the I'll-kill-you spirit some of them were known for would be a good thing.

Tezuka nodded. "Yes. We will be holding a downhill tube race in groups of five. You'll need a name as well."

At that moment the Hyotei boys came around the hill. Apparently they were setting up the blankets and what not of the picnic afterwards. The boys quickly got into groups of five and decided to argument for the name.

Jirou was in a group with Marui, Niou, Kirihara, and Jackal, but he didn't really pay attention to their team name. He glanced over at Atobe who was in a group with Oshitari, Mukahi, Shishido, and Ohtori. He didn't look back at him so Jirou tried to focus on their game/race/exercise/pointless-activity.

"Jirou!" Marui yelled. The blonde shook his head and looked up. "What do you think of the name?"

"What name?"

The Rikkaidai boys groaned and answered, "Team Bad Asses!"

Jirou rolled his eyes. "Okay?" Jirou knew it really wasn't his place to say anything so he just nodded and went along.

A few minutes went by and soon enough the boys were standing at the top of the mud covered hill in their groups behind their tubes. Yukimura was the MC. Jirou wondered who "genius" idea that was because he was getting way too into his job.

"The first time, the Bad Asses!" Yukimura pointed to Jirou's team.

"Oh, and before I introduce the next team," Yukimura began, "you need to run the tube back up." Marui felt his stomach sink as he took his seat in the tube, that hill was pretty big.

Yukimura went through the rest of the groups and when he got to his group, "The Children of God," he began the countdown. "On three! Three… two…" He pushed Sanada down before blowing the whistle. "One!"

"Cheater!" Momo yelled as Echizen pushed him down the hill.

*

The boys laughed as they lounged on a large picnic blanket that was in the basket. The self proclaimed "bad asses" were still gushing over their victory. They were all covered in mud from head to toe and were pretty sure that they looked like utter morons, but they didn't care. They ended up not being able to eat because of that mud, but they quickly found a solution to that problem.

Jirou did a cannon ball off the dock that was done by the lake and shivered as the cold water encased his body. He undid his form and swam to the top only to be splashed by Marui and Niou who had jumped before him. Everyone besides Atobe ended up getting in, he went back to the cabin to keep working.

When Atobe got to the cabin, he figured that he had time so he got a shower. After changing his clothes, Atobe opened up his laptop and realized the order in which the windows were open had changed. He minimized everything and then realized that instead of 9 windows, there were 10. He read the new one and then closed his laptop.

_You will be mine.  
-Oshitari_

Atobe was getting really sick of his games.

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**A/N: This chapter was kind of random. I really didn't feel like writing the race so… yeah… this is what happened. Anyways, the next chapter has the most drama so far (or at least it will once I get to writing it) so be patient and don't shoot me for this chapter. I start school tomorrow and I have no idea when I'll be updating…**


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: From now on, instead of 2,000+ word chapters, they'll be around 1,000 because I'm busy with school. I'm going to try to get a new chapter out every week, but that might not happen. Anyways, enjoy!**

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**Chapter 12**

Atobe looked around after shutting his laptop and then he heard the door downstairs open. He heard a few of the boys call his name so he went downstairs quickly. The boys were sopping wet and heading into the kitchen.

"We're getting something to eat since the picnic basket was ruined," Yukimura said as he turned to Momo and Kaidoh giving them an accusing look.

Momo held up his hands as if he was being arrested but was still innocent. "Not my fault that Viper pushed me."

Yukimura nodded, not believing their story or really caring for that matter, and Tezuka told the two that they would need to work on their relationship if they could ever leave either of them the team. Many assume that Tezuka and the other third years would just give away their dream to the next group of boys, but they really don't feel safe leaving unless they are one hundred percent sure the club will be the same as it was this year.

Momo and Kaidoh glanced at each other and then slipped into the kitchen with the other boys while Tezuka, Yukimura, and Atobe discussed what they would be doing for the rest of the day as they headed into the kitchen – whether nothing counted as anything or not was not part of the discussion.

Jirou glanced over his shoulder as he watched Marui slump up to his room. He looked at Niou and gave an I-wish-I-could-help look. Niou nodded, wishing he could help too, but knew he couldn't. He knew nothing would make Marui feel better so he definitely couldn't take the advice Jirou was giving him about just telling Marui.

"I can't," Niou whispered again.

Jirou rolled his eyes. "Why don't you just tell him? I bet you'll feel better."

Niou raised an eyebrow and looked up from his soda. "Yeah? Why don't you just tell Atobe?"

Jirou flushed and looked over at Atobe and when their eyes meet he felt all of the blood from his brain and every other part of his body go straight to his cheeks. Jirou was one second away from yelling at Niou for saying that so loud.

Jirou looked around nervously. "I-I… it's complicated."

Niou took another sip from his soda and shrugged. "Why don't you just tell him? I bet you'll feel better."

"It's different."

"Really, how?" Niou asked as he slammed his soda down onto the counter and walked upstairs.

_Because, Marui isn't making out with someone who already has a boyfriend who happens to be your best friend. That's why._

Jirou sighed and walked out of the kitchen and went up to his room.

Atobe was confused why Niou and Jirou had suddenly become closer. When he asked Yukimura about it, he said that he was glad the boys were getting along because that was the point. Atobe agreed that that was the point, but he still didn't like thought of someone getting close to Jirou. He wasn't sure why, probably because he cared too much about him as a friend. That's the lie he kept telling himself.

"Tezuka?" Atobe had interrupted a rather deep conversation between Tezuka and Yukimura. The Rikkaidai captain mumbled something about going to find Yanagi when he saw the look on Atobe's face.

Tezuka nodded and Atobe hesitated. "Nothing."

Atobe nodded his head in apology and walked away, hoping a nap would help his worries.

*

_Atobe sat up and looked around. He was definitely in the cabin, but it looked… different. The stereo in the corner was blaring some up-beat dance music and the room was empty besides that. Atobe walked around the room and called up the stairs, then the kitchen door opened. _

"'_Haru…"_

_Atobe spun around and saw Jirou basically throwing himself at the Rikkaidai Trickster. Niou smirked and titled the blonde's head up and – Atobe turned away._

"'_Haru…," Jirou whined again._

_Atobe shook his head and pushed the two away. His hands went right through them. He looked down at them and then back up only to see his father instead of the two boys._

"_Keigo… you've messed up again. You know what happens next," he told Atobe._

_The future heir shook his head. He took a step back and his father followed, slowly forcing him into the wall. Atobe opened his mouth to speak, to yell, but no words came out, only mindless noises. _

_Then his father's hand came crashing down._

*

Atobe sat up and screamed. He looked around and rubbed his hands through his hair after realizing it was just a dream. He somehow managed to slump into the kitchen without kicking his toe or running into the wall in the darkness of the room. He looked at the clock on the wall: 1am. It was late, late enough to get drunk and get rid of his painful feelings. Atobe grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen and sat there drowning in his sorrows.

Atobe was convinced that Jirou was infatuated with Niou. The way they started talking, the way they stood close and whispered, the way they looked at each other and grinned. Atobe _still _wasn't even sure why he cared. Atobe wished his life could be that simple sometimes, he wished it would all just be a terrible dream and that nothing had been real these past three months.

He took another long sip and ignored the fact that someone had just walked into the kitchen. He did look up, though, but just out of curiosity because not many people are up at one in the morning. He took another long sip. Oshitari ruins everything.

"Atobe, you know you just turn me on the more you drink."

Atobe blinked, he wasn't expecting that. He was expecting Oshitari to yell at him about drinking and he even had a good way to call the genius a hypocritical ass.

"And why is that?" Atobe's speech was slurred as he set down the half empty bottle of wine. A lot of people say that wine gives you a quicker buzz than the hard stuff and Atobe would be one to agree with that.

Oshitari took a step forward, his hips were swaying softly with each step. He stopped in front of Atobe and put his mouth so close to his ear Atobe could feel his breath. "Because you lose yourself and I can do whatever I want."

Atobe didn't expect Oshitari to kiss him like _that_ that fast (he wasn't complaining though). It was hot and sweet and made Atobe forget everything: his father, Sakaki, his mother, Jirou, speeches, stocks, entrance exams, and all the other things he deals with every day.

A second later Oshitari pulled away for a second and Atobe heard the faint sound of the door open and close. He figured it was just Kabaji looking for him because he wasn't in bed. He didn't seem to care when he wrapped his arms around Oshitari's neck.

It didn't matter anymore because nothing made sense, and if nothing makes sense then, nothing can go wrong.

*

Hiyoshi stumbled backwards and let the door close. He turned around and sprinted up the stairs into his room, slamming the door shut behind him. He reached for his phone and typed a quick message to Ohtori and hoped his friend was still awake. He was, because a minute later Hiyoshi had a new message.

_**You saw them doing WHAT?!**_

_**

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**A/N: I really don't have anything to say besides the fact that from here on out it gets pretty angst...ish. More dramatic than anything though.**


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: This chapter is one side of the day. The next chapter is the same day, just a different focus. This is focused on Atobe & Oshitari (I swear that relationship ends soon and I get back to the main pair; Atoji).**

**Note II: I'm sorry for the incredibly late update, I actually meant to post this a few days ago, but my internet got all screwed up and then it wouldn't let me post it for some weird reason so I had to copy and past it into one of my previous documents to get it to upload. Freaky, right? **

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**Chapter 13**

Atobe's breath came out in jagged pants as Oshitari nibbled on his ear. Atobe tried to push him away, but he wasn't exactly able to. Atobe groaned out of pleasure and pain, and then fell onto his back. He watched Oshitari slowly lick his fingers and reach for his legs.

"Oshi-"

A loud crash that rang through the air prevented Atobe from finishing. Oshitari smirked when Atobe sat up. He pushed his captain back down and grabbed his legs again.

"Get the hell off, Oshitari!"

The tensai purred into his air and then giggled when Atobe turned beat red. "Oh, come on, Atobe."

Atobe shook his head and swung his legs around –hitting Oshitari in the temple in the process –and got off on the other side of the counter. Atobe fixed his pants which Oshitari had taken off half way against his will, and went upstairs. Oshitari followed behind him and didn't let Atobe go until he kissed him.

"No. I won't." Atobe shook his wrist away and closed the door behind him as he shook his head.

"Atobe-san?" Kabaji asked as he turned on the light. Atobe knew it was Kabaji who had opened the door because there was no other reason for him to be up.

Atobe rubbed his forehead and then sighed. "Go to bed, we'll talk tomorrow."

Kabaji nodded, slightly confused, and turned off the light as Atobe pulled off his pants and shirt and pulled the covers over his body.

*

_"Keigo. Keigo. Keigo!" _

_Atobe's eyes shot open and his body shot up with it. He rubbed his head as an excruciating pain shot through it in jolts. He looked at his mother and furrowed his brow._

_"Where are we?"_

_Then **she **walked in with her father and Kabaji._

_"Megumi-chan… Munihero-kun…" His mother smiled._

_The petit brunette smiled and kissed Atobe's forehead. "Hey, Keigo. You look like crap."_

_Atobe huffed. "Stop talking about yourself."_

_She smiled and patted his back. Hard._

*

Atobe arched into Jirou's touch as he rubbed his back in an attempt to wake him up. "Megumi…"

Jirou blinked and pulled his hand away. He took a few steps back and then fell onto Kabaji's bed. Jirou was happy the second year had already gotten up. Jirou pushed himself back up and got back into his bed. He really needed a nap.

_Since when does Atobe have a girlfriend…?_

Atobe pried his heavy eyes open and watched Jirou shift in his "sleep." He smiled to himself and then got up and got to his dresser. He slipped on new boxers, jeans, and a sweatshirt. He really didn't feel like getting a shower because it was –he glanced at the clock – noon.

"Noon?" Atobe asked himself, slightly amused that he managed to not have Oshitari rape him during the night.

He stifled a yawn as he walked down the stairs only to see Hiyoshi and Ohtori passed out by the fireplace. He walked up to the man he would give "his" team to and poked his shoulder gently. Hiyoshi sat up and let out the longest groan Atobe had ever heard.

"What time is it?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Atobe eyed the ground around him curiously and raised an eyebrow. "I just found you and Ohtori-kun passed out downstairs with bottles of mountain dew and bags of Doritos and you want to know what time it is?" Hiyoshi nodded nervously. "Noon. I would suggest you wake up Ohtori and get dressed."

Atobe walked into the kitchen after Hiyoshi nodded at him. He made a beeline for the fridge, figuring he would just skip lunch and send a report to Sakaki while everyone headed down to the lake to go swimming with real swimsuits this time.

Atobe went back upstairs and tossed his yogurt into a trashcan in the corner before going into his room. Before he could open the door Jirou walked by and apologized as he hit Atobe's shoulder accidently. Atobe nodded and then pulled the door shut behind him. He pulled open his laptop and then opened up his email. Before he knew it Kabaji had walked in and told them it was time to go to the lake.

"Tell Tezuka and Yukimura that I'm not going," Atobe said bluntly. "I have work."

Kabaji waited before responding, something he usually didn't do unless he disagreed. "Hiyoshi is staying behind already, so is Ohtori."

Atobe raised an eyebrow at the boy. When Kabaji didn't even flinch Atobe sighed and closed his laptop. He got downstairs and saw that Hiyoshi and Ohtori weren't there.

"Where are they?" Atobe asked. "Everyone is supposed to go."

Kirihara huffed. "Were you?"

"Akaya," Yukimura said firmly. The ace mumbled an apologize and Atobe said he better not do it again. Yukimura turned back to Atobe and said, "I believe that Hiyoshi-kun is not feeling well. Something about not being able to leave the toilet?"

"God, Inui, did you give them anything to drink?" Eiji asked as he nudged the taller boy. He denied all accusations.

"They were up late and ate nothing but chips and soda, no wonder he doesn't feel well," Atobe said as he pointed over his back to the fireplace.

Shishido furrowed his eyebrow, he was slightly confused. "Choutarou was in bed when I was. What were they doing?"

"I don't know," he lied.

Mukahi raised his hands up and then slapped them against his waist to get their attention. "You people are pathetic! Just go ask them!" No one offered and Mukahi mimicked his earlier motion. He ran up the stairs, right past Ohtori who was coming down, and to the bathroom. He heard several noises that did not sound human and then grimaced.

"Piyo?" Mukahi asked with a huge smile on his face. "You doing something dirty?"

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. "No, sempai. I just don't-" he gagged again.

Mukahi sighed. No way someone could fake that (that he knew of). "Are you sure you don't want us to stay behind?" Mukahi asked. Hiyoshi said something softly, but Mukahi couldn't hear him. "Are you sure you don't want us to stay behind?" Mukahi asked again.

Hiyoshi yelled, "I'm sure! Choutarou is already staying behind so I'll be fine!"

Mukahi nodded at the door and then sprinted downstairs just in time to hear Atobe say someone else needed to stay. Ohtori said he was already staying and by that time Atobe knew something was up. If they were up all night and staying together again then they knew something or were just secretly dating, which he doubted.

"Someone else should stay," Atobe said again.

Yukimura sighed and looked at his watch. "Listen, Atobe, if we don't go now then we won't be able to stay long if he want to get back in time for dinner."

"Yukimura's right," Jirou said out of the blue.

Atobe thought for a second and then agreed. He walked into the kitchen as Ohtori waved them goodbye. Atobe reached for a bottle of water and sat at the table. He unscrewed the cap and gasped for air after taking a long sip. He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

_"God, you said you would call right back! What the hell took so long?"_ the girl asked after picking up after the first ring.

Atobe laughed. "Who took so long?"

_"…Keigo?" _

Atobe smiled to himself. "Yes, Megumi, it's me. You never answered my question."

She laughed into the phone and that's when Atobe realized he really did miss the sound of her voice. "What if I told you I was waiting for a booty call?"

"I would believe you," Atobe said with no hint of amusement in his voice.

He heard her shuffling papers on the other side as she talked to someone else who was probably in the room. _"Sorry, I need to go to a meeting right now. We can catch up later. Are you at your house or one of your cottages or whatever the hell your asshole dad calls them?"_

Atobe really wondered if she would still call his dad such rude terms if she didn't know what he did to his mother. "Why?"

_"So I know when to call you dumbass! If you're at home then you're going to school, but if you're not then I can call you whenever."_

"My aunt's house, the one by the lake."

_"'Kay, I'll call you later."_

Atobe said goodbye quickly and then hung up. He sighed and rested his head on the table. She really was weird. Atobe lifted his head only to find Oshitair's lustful gaze. He really wasn't in the mood. Megumi did that to him, but Oshitari was just… impossible.

"Go away," Atobe said as he stood up and walked out of the room. Oshitari grabbed Atobe's wrist as he left the kitchen. "There are other people here, Oshitari."

The tensai smirked anyways. "Let's go upstairs…" He trailed off as he dragged Atobe up the stairs. Atobe was smart enough to know that Oshitari was stronger than him and could probably break his wrist if he wanted, so Atobe showed little physical resistance. Verbal, however, was a different story. Atobe had never said that many profanities before in his life. He actually hoped Ohtori and Hiyoshi would hear them.

"Stop, Oshitari," Atobe pleaded as he pushed Atobe onto the bed.

Oshitari smirked again and didn't stop. He didn't stop touching him. He couldn't stop kissing him. He couldn't stop forcing him. He didn't want to stop forcing him.

Then, sometime between a kiss and a groan, Shishido and Mukahi were screaming for them. Oshitari walked out of the room and Atobe stayed there, trying to find his shirt and dignity. A second later Mukahi and Oshitari came in and the blue haired bastard (Atobe's mental choice of words at the time) acted like they had just caught Atobe doing something dirty by himself. Mukahi teased his captain, but then Oshitari said that they couldn't find Hiyoshi or Ohtori.

Atobe swung his feet off the edge of the bed and joined them in searching for the second years. They ran into Shishido downstairs and then decided that they had to be outside, they had looked everywhere. They split into teams of two, Mukahi and Oshitari were to stay behind with Jirou and Atobe to make sure they didn't come back. Jirou had wanted to protest, but he really did need a shower; his hair had gotten covered in mud from the lake.

Atobe watched Mukahi go upstairs, Oshitari go out front, and Jirou begin to head for the stairs. Atobe sighed and walked out back, hoping a nap in the sun would help. He sat down and then he heard Mukahi yell. He ran upstairs and bumped into Oshitari. He ignored the fact that Oshitari had pushed him out of the way to get to his boyfriend's room first because when he opened the door he did not want to be within punching distance of Mukahi...

He looked pissed.

* * *

**A/N: The chapter after this is also done so I'll update sometime during the week too. Oh, and it was Mukahi who was pissed. The next chapter is this same day, only it shows what Hiyoshi and Ohtori were doing. **


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: This chapter is one side of the day. This is focused on Hiyoshi & Ohtori.**

**Note II: I know Hiyoshi calls Mukahi "Mukahi-san" and Ohtori calls Shishido "Shishido-san" but I'm not sure what they call everyone else so everyone else is just sempai. Oh, and what the heck do they call each other? **

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**Chapter 14**

Hiyoshi quickly typed back to Ohtori, telling him to meet him downstairs. Hiyoshi sat up and set his phone on his bed while he quietly opened the drawer of the dresser to grab a shirt. He slipped on a white t-shirt over his head and figured Ohtori wouldn't care if he was wearing boxers, and headed downstairs.

He was so confused it was unbelievable. He hadn't expected Oshitari of all people to cheat on someone. He could see Atobe doing that if he really wanted it because, like many others, Hiyoshi thinks of Atobe as a spoiled rich kid who gets whatever he wants when he wants.

Hiyoshi crashed onto the sofa in front of the fireplace and a second later heard Ohtori trip down the stairs. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ohtori pulling up his oversized sweat pants as he managed to make it over to a chair.

"Are you sure?" Ohtori asked quickly.

Hiyoshi nodded. "Yeah, and I really want to throw up, but I think that we should –"

"Get the hell off, Oshitari!"

Oshitari chuckled. "Oh, come on, Atobe."

The boys looked at each other and then their eyes went wide. Ohtori pulled Hiyoshi down in front of the sofa and hoped that Oshitari and Atobe wouldn't see them.

"Did you make me come down here when they're still in the kitchen?!"

"Maybe…" Hiyoshi mumbled.

"Wakashi!"

Ohtori slapped his friend in the back of the head and then the door flew opened. He pushed them down onto the floor and hoped they wouldn't see them. Both of the second years snapped their eyes shut hoping that if they couldn't see them, then maybe they wouldn't see them either.

Hiyoshi slowly opened his eyes after hearing the footsteps disappear above them. He pushed Ohtori off of him and walked into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Ohtori asked as he got to his feet and hurried after Hiyoshi.

"I'm starving and I have a feeling we won't be able to sleep tonight." Hiyoshi shivered at some of the mental images that ran through his head and then reached for three bags of chips.

Ohtori sighed and opened up the refrigerator and pulled out two two-litter bottles of Mountain Dew.

The two opened a bag of Lays and then Ohtori went to pull himself onto the counter, but Hiyoshi stopped him.

"Frosting…?" Ohtori asked, hoping it really was frosting from a cake they never saw. Hiyoshi shook his head in pure disgust and quickly ran out of the room without even thinking twice. He fell onto the sofa again and rubbed his temples.

"That was…?" Ohtori was bright red and slightly green at the same time. He honestly just was an innocent boy who blushed whenever he kissed someone. In sex-ed Hiyoshi watched Ohtori pass out when they had to learn about how a woman became pregnant, he couldn't even imagine Ohtori knowing that wasn't frosting.

"If I say it's frosting, will you please stop talking about it?" Ohtori nodded. "It was frosting."

"No it wasn't!" Ohtori yelled as he moved around in the chair.

Hiyoshi sighed and sat up. "Listen, Oshitari-sempai is cheating on Mukahi-san. He might be having sex, he might not be, but either way, let's drop it and figure out just what we're going to do."

Ohtori took a long sip out of one of the bottles and took a deep breath. "Okay. So, just what are we going to do? Should we tell Shishido-san or ask him for advice?"

"Uh, no," Hiyoshi responded quickly. "We need to do this ourselves."

Ohtori nodded sheepishly. "Just how are we going to do that?"

"I'm working on it."

*

Atobe tapped Hiyoshi on the shoulder again. The second year slowly opened his eyes and sat up from the couch. He looked around and saw Ohtori sitting on the chair fast asleep. Hiyoshi groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"What time is it?"

Atobe raised eyebrow. "I just found you and Ohtori passed out downstairs with bottles of mountain dew and bags of Doritos and you want to know what time it is?" Hiyoshi nodded nervously. "Noon. I would suggest you wake up Ohtori and get dressed."

Hiyoshi pressed his lips together as Atobe walked away. Hiyoshi waited a second after Atobe closed the door to wake up Ohtori. The taller second year jerked his eyes open and hit Hiyoshi by accident. After a few quick apologizes they sat there in silence.

"Did I text you last night and say I saw what I saw?" Hiyoshi asked.

Ohtori nodded grimly. "We stayed up all night making sure you weren't insane, and I still think you are, but we need to tell Mukahi-sempai or make Shishido-san tell him."

Hiyoshi shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "No, we can't." Ohtori asked why not. "We need to be sure. We talked about this last night, remember? We're getting out proof today when everyone goes down to the lake."

"Atobe-buchou will stay behind and – oh my god." Ohtori looked down at Hiyoshi with wide eyes. "Oshitari-sempai and Atobe-buchou were here when Mukahi-sempai drank. You don't think that…?"

Hiyoshi waited a second, processing just what might have happened. "Where was Oshitari-sempai when we found Mukahi-san?"

"I didn't see him…" Ohtori sighed and rubbed his head. "This is really bad. Now we really do need proof because I doubt Mukahi-sempai will trust just your word if it's been going on for more than one night."

Hiyoshi nodded understandingly. If someone told him that his girlfriend was cheating on him then he wouldn't believe them. A lot of people think relationships in junior high or even high school are just childish, but Hiyoshi thought his was pretty significant, but he couldn't even comprehend that Mukahi and Oshitari were having sex.

"We'll get Atobe to go and then we'll find some proof."

The two nodded and went to try and pretend that nothing was going on. At one point Shishido had asked Othori if he needed to go home because he kept laughing at everything. Hiyoshi pulled Ohtori outside after lunch and hit him on the back of the head.

"Stop it! Just act normal, not high!"

Ohtori nodded and then turned to walk inside. That's when he ran into Jirou.

"Oh, hey Ohtori-ku-"

"I didn't see them, it was Wakashi, I swear!" Ohtori held his hands over his head and Jirou just blinked. The blonde looked over his shoulder and saw that everyone in the room was staring at them so he decided it would be best to get away from them. He pushed Ohtori back outside just in time to see Hiyoshi slapping his head – he really wished he hadn't told Ohtori.

"What's going on?" Jirou asked as he tried not to yawn. He couldn't sleep the night before because he heard Atobe and Oshitari talking in the hall. He was too afraid that if he went to sleep it wouldn't be a normal dream.

Hiyoshi sighed and looked over at Ohtori. "What exactly did you say?"

"He saw you someone doing something," Jirou told Hiyoshi.

"Promise not to tell until we have proof?" Jirou nodded his head and figured they probably just caught someone jerking off while moaning someone's name or something stupid like that. "I saw Oshitari-sempai and Atobe-buchou doing… stuff in the kitchen around midnight."

Jirou wanted to pass out because he felt his heart go crazy. He wasn't insane, he really did like a guy who was making out with another guy who wasn't his boyfriend, and that just really wasn't helping. Jirou ignored his mind and just took in a deep breath.

"I know." Hiyoshi and Ohtori began bombarding him with questions until told them to just shut up. "I thought it was just weird at first, but then I saw them… in the bedroom…"

Hiyoshi watched Ohtori almost pass out again. "Were they having sex?"

"No. I don't think. Maybe. I don't know!" Jirou grabbed his head and fell to the ground. "God, this is so screwed up!"

"We need to tell Mukahi-san," Hiyoshi said quietly.

Jirou looked up. "He won't believe us because that moron is so damn stupid when it comes to Oshitari."

"You cursed," Ohtori said in amazement.

Jirou rolled his eyes. "Yes, when I'm not sleeping I learned to say some things. " Ohtori looked at the ground and Jirou sighed. "I'm sorry. I haven't been sleeping much lately because of Atobe and Oshitari and all this other crap my parents want me to do to prepare for high school exams; I'm going to Hyotei so I don't see why they're making such a big deal about it." He didn't add in the part about Atobe's girlfriend (or whatever she was), Megumi.

Hiyoshi nodded and Ohtori gave a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. But we really need to do something about this…"

Jirou waited a second and had a wonderful idea. "Hey, Hiyoshi-kun, how long do you think you can stand in the bathroom."

Sweet, sweet revenge.

*

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay behind?" Mukahi asked again.

Hiyoshi, who was in the bathroom, yelled, "I'm sure! Choutarou is already staying behind so I'll be fine!"

Mukahi nodded to the door and went to join the others downstairs. Atobe asked if they wanted anyone else to stay and Ohtori immediately said that it was fine. Who knew Atobe wouldn't trust Hiyoshi's crappy I'm-constipated-and-dying noises? Atobe insisted on some of them staying behind again, but Yukimura told them they needed to leave now or else they would need to stay because it would be pointless to go for five minutes just to come back up in time for dinner. Atobe had to agree and left the boys to themselves after Jirou agreed with Yukimura. Atobe walked into the kitchen as they walked outside.

Ohtori waved them good-bye and sprinted up the stairs and saw Hiyoshi going into his room. Ohtori hurried up and closed the door behind him. He watched Hiyoshi immediately tear through Atobe's dresser.

"Check his laptop," Hiyoshi told him.

Ohtori hesitated a second, but when Hiyoshi shot him a glare that could kill he reached for the laptop on his captain's bed. He searched through some of the folders, but found that a few were password protected and figured Atobe probably had it rigged so it would send an email to his phone whenever someone tried to hack it (Shishido had last year and Atobe was not happy when he found out). Ohtori settled for the recycle bin.

"Look at this," Hiyoshi mumbled as he handed Ohtori the piece of paper Atobe had crumpled and thrown into his drawer.

_Mukahi is nothing.  
-Oshitari_

"Yeah, well, look at this." Ohtori turned the laptop.

_You will be mine.  
-Oshitari_

Hiyoshi rubbed his head and flopped onto Kabaji's bed. "We really need to tell them."

Ohtori smiled nervously like he had just told a man he was going to die. "Can't we just forget we saw anything? Besides, anyone can write exactly like someone else and falls asleep and hallucinate things…" Hiyoshi looked at him like he was insane and that's when Ohtori gave in. "Fine. We'll tell Jirou-sempai that we have proof, but –"

"Shh!" Hiyoshi hissed as he covered Ohtori's mouth with his hand. He looked around and then the door opened. "Oh, crap, I did hear someone! Get down!" Hiyoshi whispered harshly as he grabbed Ohtori by the wrist and tugged him onto the floor. He crawled under Kabaji's bed and prayed Ohtori could wiggle his way under so his feet weren't sticking out the other side.

"Stop, Oshitari."

Hiyoshi moved around and got somewhat of a decent view, but the sheets were in the way. Hiyoshi only heard raspy whispers from Oshitari, and pleas from Atobe, while he tried to get his cell-phone out of his pants. Hiyoshi tried to move it so he could get a shot of Atobe, but he could only get a blur of his captain's figure.

Hiyoshi snapped his phone shut and hoped they wouldn't be much longer. He slowly closed his eyes and drifted off into a much needed dream because right now he was in a nightmare.

*

"Wakashi," Ohtori said again as he tried to pull Hiyoshi out from underneath the bed.

Hiyoshi forced his eyes open and screamed when he realized just how hard his friend was holding his wrist. Ohtori let go and Hiyoshi got the rest of his body out from underneath the bed.

"What time is it?" Hiyoshi asked. Déjà vu hit his body and he thought for a second that just maybe he was waking up and talking to Atobe again, not Ohtori.

"Just before dinner. Oshitari-sempai and Atobe-buchou went downstairs and now Shishido-san is worried because he hasn't seen us."

Hiyoshi sighed and rolled his shoulders. He stood up and walked over to his bed and tossed his phone to Ohtori who sat down next to him. Ohtori watched the video and then looked like he was about to cry.

"Why can't anything be easy? We're teenagers, we're supposed to be having fun together, not making problems that will scare our friends forever."

Hiyoshi nodded slowly and took his phone back. "I know. But that's life. Bad things happen to good people and there's nothing we can do." Hiyoshi stood up violently and Ohtori grabbed his wrist.

"Are you still upset about your brother?"

Hiyoshi tugged his wrist away with such force it cracked. "Don't ever talk to me about him."

Ohtori looked at his toes. "I'm sorry, Wakashi, but you need to realize that he's gone."

"Shut up!" Hiyoshi snapped. Othori looked away, probably expecting Hiyoshi to hit him, but when he didn't the tall second year turned to see Hiyoshi walking out the door. "I'm going to find Jirou-sempai, we need to tell Mukahi-san now."

Ohtori rose to his feet and followed Hiyoshi. He was honestly worried about his friend. Sometime during the first semester, Atobe called for a meeting with the regulars and he needed to get a ride home, so Hiyoshi called his brother. He waited and waited, and Ohtori waited with him because he could just walk home. Eventually Hiyoshi just gave up and walked home; when he opened the door, he saw police officers and learned that there was an accident.

He didn't show up to school or practice for a week and that's when Ohtori decided to check on him. As it turns out, Hiyoshi's older brother was killed by a drunk driver from down the street. Hiyoshi blamed himself and his mother said that he didn't leave his room except to go to the bathroom or get something to eat or drink.

When Ohtori went up to see him, Hiyoshi hadn't –he still hasn't –erased his brother's number from his phone. He still hadn't touched his room. And he still hadn't visited his grave. Ohtori knew Hiyoshi hated losing because of how he reacted after losing to Ryoma, but he had never seen him like that.

Ohtori got the thoughts out of his head and focused on what they needed to do as they walked down the stairs. The two found Jirou walking up the stairs to get a shower. Jirou held his real feelings in as they made their way up to Mukahi's room. They knocked and Mukahi called for them to come in. Hiyoshi closed the door behind him and Mukahi gave the three of them very weird looks.

"Where the hell where you guys?" They just looked at the floor. "What's going on? Did that Echizen brat finally die?" Mukahi joked.

Jirou sat next to his friend and when he went to grab his shoulder Mukahi jerked away. His face was petrified. "What's going on?"

"Oshitari-sempai is…" Hiyoshi couldn't finish.

Mukahi shook his head and stood up. "Yuushi's what, Hiyoshi?" No one answered his question and stormed up to Hiyoshi, grabbing him by the collar. "What the _fuck_ is going on?"

Hiyoshi reached into his pocket and handed the acrobat his phone. Mukahi snatched it so quick he looked like a cat. He scrolled through the videos after telling him to, and then he began to shake his head in disbelief. Though Mukahi couldn't see who Oshitari was with, it was obvious that it wasn't him.

"No," Mukahi kept telling himself. He looked over at Jirou and threw the phone at the ground. "How long has this been going on?!"

"At least since last night," Hiyoshi told them.

"No," Jirou said before Mukahi could slap Hiyoshi and Ohtori for not telling them earlier. "I saw them a few days ago. It might have been going on since longer."

Mukahi sunk to the ground and began to laugh as he ran his hands through his hair. "I knew this was too good to be true. Just who the hell was he with? I'll kill him!" Mukahi roared. (A/N: That was the yell Atobe & Oshitari heard in the previous chapter).

"I don't know," Jirou lied.

"Sempai-" Ohtori began as he looked at Jirou with wide, shocked eyes.

Then Oshitari walked through the door with Atobe standing behind him.

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**A/N: So now you know why Mukahi was pissed. I have up through chapter 16 written and up through 19 planned in bullets and mini conversations so I just need to write in some things. I should be able to update pretty quickly even though I'm working on another story. I posted the prologue, but then removed it and figured I should write more of it before I posted it for real. I got out of the ER today (long ass story I'm not telling), but other than that... I'm in a pretty damn good mood!  
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	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: Okay, I did not plan this chapter at all so it might seem a little jumpy and random because I squashed all of these ideas together.**

**Note II: You people really hate cliffhangers, don't you? Well, since I'm stuck in bed again (it's better than the hospital) I went ahead and posted this chapter, too.**

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**Chapter 15**

Oshitari cocked his head and then set it straight again. He peered into the room and saw Jirou, Hiyoshi, and Ohtori and then looked back at Mukahi who was sending off a very bad vibe.

"What's wrong, baby?" Oshitari asked with fake concern and the coffee to go.

Mukahi rolled his eyes and walked up to Oshitari. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and spat in-between them. "What the fuck do you mean 'what's wrong?'"

Oshitari raised an eyebrow and felt Mukahi's forehead as if he was a little kid with a fever. The acrobat swatted his hand away and shook his head back and forth. "Don't fuck with me, Yuushi."

"I'm sorry?" Oshitari said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Gakuto. Did you drink again?"

Mukahi threw his hands into the air, a movement he seemed to favor lately. "Oh, so now I'm just a drunk? Is that why you've been screwing around with someone else?"

Atobe suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Mukahi didn't say "screwing around with Atobe," but, then again, Atobe didn't let the thought that Oshitari had probably cheated on Mukahi before out of his mind. Atobe slowly took a step back and then Mukahi turned to his left. He pointed to the door and yelled for them to get out.

"I said get out!" Mukahi screamed again.

Atobe watched Jirou, Hiyoshi, and Ohtori filter out of the room – all of them shooting him glares of disgust and hatred. That's when everything clicked. Oshitari closed the door and Mukahi began to really scream. Atobe didn't really want to know what Mukahi was going to do to Oshitari, or what Oshitari was going to do to Mukahi if he didn't like what he heard.

"You know." It wasn't a question it was a statement.

Hiyoshi and Ohtori looked at each other and then at Jirou. "Yes," the blonde said bluntly.

"Did you tell him?" Atobe asked.

Hiyoshi and Ohtori shook their heads at Atobe and then walked away. Jirou crossed is arms and put on a serious face that Atobe – that no one – had ever seen before.

"No. I lied to him." Atobe nodded and then when Jirou dropped his arms and dropped his jaw, he figured that wasn't the best move. "You just nod when I tell you that I lied to my best friend about his boyfriend screwing around? Why did you even do it, Atobe?"

_Why didn't you tell me_, Jirou thought.

Atobe looked at the floor and then back up at Jirou. "I didn't want to. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't."

Jirou rolled his eyes. "Oh, so he raped you?"

"No," Atobe said coldly, "but he got pretty damn close last night."

Jirou studied Atobe's face. It looked the same, but his eyes were filled with fear and pain that the world would usually just skip. Jirou had never thought of Atobe with emotions, let alone sadness and fear. He had always thought of Atobe as an invincible, bad-ass, rich god. Then he remembered how he clung to the sheets during the thunder storm, and thought that maybe he misjudged Atobe. Maybe he misjudged the man he had feelings for. Maybe he had misjudged his feelings.

"Oh my God… You're serious." Jirou reached out his hand and Atobe jerked away.

Atobe looked at the ground and kept walking away towards their room down the hall. "No. I don't… Don't touch me." Atobe stuttered and his mouth twitched into a smile against his will, but then it turned into a heart breaking frown. "I have work to do." Atobe reached behind him and grabbed the doorknob to his room and within the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Jirou just stood there, unable to process what had just happened. He didn't understand why Atobe wouldn't have told anyone if Oshitari was doing that to him. Did he really care about Mukahi that much? No, that couldn't be it. It had to be something else… Maybe he was lying, that's what Jirou decided on. The "maybe" was the only word he could get himself to think about, though.

Atobe was hurt more than ever and Jirou felt like it was his fault for some reason. He liked the guy; he should be able to know if something was wrong. Maybe he really didn't like him. Or maybe he liked him too much and was blinded by the truth because the false reality he tried to live in was better. He couldn't decide, he was just too worried.

Jirou walked down the hall and found Ohtori and Hiyoshi sitting on the rug in front of the fireplace. A wave of warmth washed over the blonde as he sat between them.

"Listen," Jirou began, "don't tell anyone that it was Atobe, at least not yet."

Hiyoshi and Ohtori snapped their heads over to look at Jirou so quickly it hurt. "What do you mean?" Ohtori asked as he rubbed his neck.

"We need to tell someone so Atobe doesn't try to rape Oshitari-sempai during the night."

Jirou blinked and Hiyoshi's choice of words. Then anger spread though his body. "You will call Atobe 'Atobe-buchou' until the day he graduates. He's still your sempai, Hiyoshi." Jirou stood up. "And don't even joke about rape, not with what's going on."

"What's going on, sempai?" Ohtori asked with pure fear in his voice.

"You're going to call Sakaki and tell him to get down here before sunset. _That's _what's going on."

Jirou turned and walked back down the hall to the bedrooms. He got to the end and sat in front of the room Inui , Kaidoh, and that Taka-san guy were staying in. He leaned his back against the door and stared at the door that was the only barrier holding in Mukahi's yells.

_I can hear Mukahi yell from the courts if he's in the clubroom. Shouldn't I be able to hear him?_

Jirou stood up and sprinted down the hall back to the foyer. "Hiysohi!" he yelled. Ohtori covered his phone after telling Sakaki to wait a minute and the two looked at Jirou like he was really going insane. "Get Shishido and everyone else up here to Mukahi's room now!"

"What's going on?" Ohtori asked.

"Now!"

Jirou turned around and began to run again. He really was getting sick of that question. Jirou spent no time yelling for Oshitari to open up the door as he kicked and punched at it. Jirou fell to his knees and punched the door one last time.

"Damn it," Jirou cursed.

He felt a large hand on his shoulder and Jirou looked up. Atobe was standing there with a no-emotion poker face. Jirou forced himself up and slapped his cheeks once. He nodded at Atobe and Atobe nodded back. Jirou counted down from three and then they barged the door down. It hurt like hell as the door swung open and gravity crashed them to the floor.

Atobe propped himself on his elbows because that was all he could do – Jirou had fallen on his back and he didn't have enough strength left to push him off. He didn't want to push him off either. He glanced at the scene in front of him and made sure that Oshitari would be kicked off the team and expelled from Hyotei.

Mukahi was laying on the ground with Oshitari over him. Atobe couldn't tell if Oshitari was hitting or kissing Mukahi, but by how the acrobat's hands were pinned above his head, and he was kicking (or at least attempting to) Oshitari in the back, Atobe didn't seem to care if Oshitari was hitting or kissing.

"Oshitari!" Shishido yelled as he jumped over Atobe and Jirou and darted towards the two. Shishido tried to pry him off, but he couldn't. Hiyoshi came in a second later with Momo and Kaidoh and the two seemed more than happy to hit Oshitari in the back of the head and knock him out.

Mukahi pushed Oshitari off of him and sat up. He cried out in pain and he leaned on his hands. He pulled his hands in front of him and cursed beneath his breath. He looked over at Oshitari who had a sickly smile on his face and then he just let the tears fall.

"I hate you, you bastard," Mukahi sobbed as he poked Oshitari's limb body with his foot.

Shishido helped Mukahi up and got him onto the bed without having to carry him bridal style. A second later everyone else seemed to be standing around Oshitari, basically waiting for him to wake up. Tezuka and Yukimura pulled Atobe aside to talk to him about what they were going to do.

Jirou interrupted them mid-conversation and said, "I told Ohtori-kun to call Sakaki."

Atobe wanted to protest, to say that Sakaki would only make things worse, but he kept that to himself because Yukimura and Tezuka seemed to like the idea. They went their separate ways to calm down and Jirou pulled Atobe aside.

"You sure did get over that quickly," he said softly as he closed the door to their room behind him.

Atobe sat on his bed and shrugged as he reached for his laptop. "I've had worse things happen."

"Worse than rape?" Jirou asked skeptically.

Atobe didn't answer, he just kept typing. He decided a long time ago that he wouldn't tell anyone that was going through his head, not even Kabaji. If people knew about his problems, they would pity him, but if people knew what he thought, they would shun him and call him a depressed freak.

Jirou nodded. "Fine. If you don't want to talk then don't." Jirou turned to reach for the door, that's when Atobe spoke.

"Have you ever wanted to tell someone something, but you knew it would just cause more problems or pain?"

Jirou waited a second before answering because he was trying so hard not to say that it was painful for him to go on day in and day out lying to his best friend, to him, about his own feelings. "…Yes."

Atobe stood up and walked over to Jirou. "Then you know how much it hurts to keep it bottled up, right? How much it hurts to know that once you say something then you can never take it back…" Atobe looked at the ground and then balled his hands into fists. "I… Oshitari and I were never anything to start with, but I said yes anyways when he first asked me out. I regret that every day of my life. When he touched me again, I tried to fight back, but I felt like it was what I deserved. I felt like what everyone was telling me was the truth."

Jirou furrowed his brow and stuck his head underneath Atobe which caused his captain's lips to twitch into a smile (hey, seeing Jirou look up at you would make you smile any day!). He lifted his head back up and Jirou gave him a worried look. "What did everyone keep telling you, Atobe? _Who _kept telling you?"

Atobe bit his lip. He opened his mouth to say something –he wasn't sure what – when the door opened behind Jirou's back. Yukimura knocked on the frame and smiled sweetly at the two Hyotei third years.

"Was I interrupting something?" he asked.

Jirou nodded his head, but Atobe said no. Yukimura turned to leave, but Jirou left. Yukimura said he would only be a minute, but Jirou said he wanted to check on Mukahi anyways. Yukimura walked into their room and as he closed the door Atobe was just sitting on his bed.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Yukimura asked as he sat in front of Atobe.

Atobe looked Yukimura dead in the eye and tried not to lie. He had become used to lying and it was becoming more and more difficult to even tell himself the truth. "Yes, it was me, but not by choice."

Yukimura smiled and leaned back on his hands. "I know you didn't do it by choice." Atobe raised an eyebrow, silently asking a question. "I saw the way that boy looked at you, I see it a lot with a few boys on my own team. Listen," Yukimura said as he put on a warm, caring smile, "I don't understand how your school works or how busy your life is, but I do know that something is wrong. Something big. Something you need to tell someone. And I have a feeling Sakaki and your mother are out of the question."

"How did-"

"Your mother was at the same hospital as me, Atobe. I don't know what happened to her, or you, but you can trust me, really."

Atobe was afraid, again. Someone knew. Someone could hurt him. He was vulnerable. He was weak.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I know, random… I told you it would be! Anyways, I'm thinking of posting my other story, but I'm not sure yet... it's a supernatural romance and I'm just not sure if it's good or not. Does anyone know any supernatural things for PoT that are like vampires and stuff so I can compare what I have to it?  
**

**Anyways, I hope thisn't as big as a cliffhanger as the last one.  
**


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

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**Chapter 16**

Atobe sat there, unable to speak as Yukimura watched his tears silently flow onto his shirt. Atobe had never let anyone see him cry, at least not by choice. He had never wanted any to see him cry either. He learned early on that crying was weakness, and everyone he knew looked down on weakness.

"Atobe?" Yukimura asked as he gently placed a hand on his knee.

Atobe looked up and took in a deep breath. "Don't tell anyone. Please, just don't tell."

Yukimura gave him a confused look. He had never once even seen Atobe ask for a favor, let alone beg for something with tears. "Why not? You know that the police can help, right?"

Atobe rubbed the tears away and nodded. "I know, but it will only make things worse." Atobe pulled off his shirt and turned his back to Yukimura. It was covered with red marks that most would just pass off as tennis injuries (that's probably why no one said anything in the locker room). "My father heard that I had been seeing a lawyer about getting my mother transferred to a hospital that is farther away from our home and this is what happened." Atobe pulled down his shirt. "If I do something, I won't be able to get away from him. I won't have the finical means to get away from him. My mother isn't wealthy, he is. I need him even though I don't want him."

Yukimura shifted and crossed his legs in front of him, figuring he would be sitting for awhile. Atobe went on, telling him everything that he had kept in for so long. It hurt him so much as he talked slowly. It was one of those moments where you look back at your life and just think it's not worth it. It's was when you realize just how miserable you were –how miserable you are.

"And then, I just… everything went black…" Atobe shivered in his own skin at the memory of that last bolt of lightning piercing the sky that dreadful night. "I woke up in the hospital the next day and the rest is just… just… I don't even know what to call it."

*

Mukahi was sitting on his bed with his knees tucked into his chest. Jirou was sitting next to him, gently rubbing his back. Eiji was sitting at the base of the bed by his feet, trying to get him to smile by tickling him, but it wasn't working very well. Marui and Niou sat down as Momo, Kaidoh, and Shishido carried Oshitari out into the foyer.

"How are you feeling?" Jirou asked as he stopped rubbing.

Mukahi looked over at him and Jirou almost screamed. He looked like he had just come back from hell and watched ten straight hours of romantic TV. Red rings lined his eyes and tear stained his cheeks. "I feel like I'm going to die any second."

"You're not, sempai." Everyone turned to see Hiyoshi walking into the room. He sat next to Mukahi and smiled. "I'm sorry for not telling you right when I found out."

"It's okay, Piyo. I couldn't have told you if your girlfriend was cheating on you. But, God," Mukahi groaned as he dug his hand back into his knees. "Why does love hurt so much? What is love anyways?"

"A drug. It's addicting if you have it, but pain if you don't," Marui said out of true experience.

Niou looked at his friend out of the corner of his eyes and figured that probably would have been one of the best times to tell him, but figured it wasn't worth it. "'Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.'"

Jirou furrowed his brow, he should probably say something now, but what Niou said was still in his head. "Niou… why did you just quote Mark Twain?"

The Trickster shrugged. "Seemed to fit."

Mukahi smiled and leaned against Hiyoshi. His eyes were so heavy, but he kept himself awake to hear what the other's had to say.

"Love is simply love," Eiji said as he tickled Mukahi again. This time he did laugh and felt his eyes close a little more.

"Love isn't what you had," Jirou said. "Love is absolute trust and respect between two people."

Mukahi closed his eyes completely and could barely remember hearing Hiyoshi say, "Love is what you want it to be, _sempai_," into his ear.

Hiyoshi gently moved and laid Mukahi on his back. He turned to leave with the others, but Mukahi was holding onto his arm. He tried to get away, but Jirou told him it was no use. Hiyoshi sighed with a smile and got in bed next to Mukahi. That crazy sempai of his really was like a giant teddy bear. Hiyoshi couldn't wait for him to wake up and say, "Piyo? _Boundaries_!" The thought made Hiyoshi laugh into a soft slumber.

Eiji gently closed the door behind him and then sighed. "What are we going to do for the rest of the camp? Oishi will probably want us all to talk and make sure no one is going to go insane, nyaaaa." He yawned and stretched his arms up into the air.

Niou and Marui shrugged together. "Not a damn clue," Niou said truthfully. He poked Marui with his arm and said, "We should check on Akaya, he's probably freaked out."

Marui nodded and began to walk. "Yeah, I bet he is. Do you remember that time he saw Yukimura and Sanada talking and he thought they were kissing?"

Niou laughed and the rest of their conversation was hidden as they walked into their room. Eiji looked at Jirou and waited for his answer.

"I would ask Atobe, but he's pretty mad at me right now." Jirou sighed. He really did feel like crap now. He felt terrible for yelling at Atobe, making that rape joke, and everything else. He wished he had to go back to worrying about telling him how he felt, and not if he was going to hate him.

"Maybe Tezuka will know," Eiji wondered out loud as they parted ways.

Jirou slumped into the bathroom and was surprised to see that no one else was waiting to get a shower. His body just seemed to wash away all of his worries whenever that hot water hit him, he just figured it did that to everyone too. The steam quickly filled the room and Jirou felt a little bit of his pain wash away as his muscled weakened into a relaxed state.

It wasn't meant to be this hard, at least not when they were this young. Their lives were supposed simple. They were supposed to worry about zits, not if they were going to have their tennis captain commit suicide because your best friend's twisted boyfriend raped him and only God knows how many other people.

Jirou slammed his fist against the wall. "Damn it, damn it, damn it!" He fell to his knees, not caring that the water was burning his back. "What does this hurt so much?"

He couldn't find an answer for the pain.

*

Atobe looked up from the pillow he was holding when he heard the door open. He pushed the pillow aside and turned back to Yukimura, giving a silent plea with his eyes for him not to say anything. Yukimura nodded as Jirou walked into the room with a towel around his waist. Yukimura slipped past the sleepy third year and down the hall to find Yanagi.

Jirou tossed his old clothes onto his bed, opened the dresser, and slipped on a pair of boxers underneath his towel. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy, black sweatshirt that had "JIROU" written on the back in bold white letters over a T-shirt. The sweatshirt had been his brother's when he was in Junior High – three years ago. Jirou grabbed the clothes he had tossed on the bed and shoved them into the bottom drawer of the dresser that held his other worn clothes.

"Jirou," Atobe said almost randomly in the silence. Jirou pushed the drawer shut so fast and hard it made an ear cringing sound as wood meet wood. "Are you really that mad with me?"

Jirou walked over to Atobe's bed and sat in front of him, right where Yukimura had been, and looked him dead in the eye. "It depends, Atobe. What else aren't you telling us?" Atobe didn't flinch. "Listen, I get that what Oshitari did to you wasn't because you wanted to. What I _don't_ get is that you didn't tell us. Why you didn't tell _me_. You know how hard it is for me to trust people because they just use me and toss me aside like I was yesterday's addiction. You knew that I trusted you. Why can't you just trust me?"

Atobe bit his lip and looked Jirou in the eye. He tried to hide his pain, but he knew that Jirou would pick up on it, he always picked it up. He picked up on _everything_. "My mother…" Atobe trailed off and couldn't go through with the tears again, not this soon. "When is Sakaki coming? I need to do some things before he gets here."

Jirou stood up and felt a flame of disappointment burn each inch of his body. "Atobe," Jirou began, "you're the one who made me love tennis. The only thing I ever wanted for you was to be happy, that was my wish on every shooting star I ever saw. You're always in pain, and you won't let me help. Are you that ashamed to have me as a friend? Are you that ashamed of being human?"

"Jir-"

Jirou opened the door and slammed it shut behind him.

And with that, Jirou was gone.

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**A/N: Sometime in there I mentioned Atobe committing suicide. Um, not gonna happen. Just telling you that now so I don't get all of weird reviews. Anyways, Sakaki comes next chapter and things only get worse from here (yes, Atobe's life can get even worse). But in awhile there's this whole Atobe-Jirou confrontation intervention thing and things start to get good again (not telling you anymore more than that).**

**I have up to chapter 21 writen. Most of them are 1,000 word chapters, but the last few are longer so it makes up for that. I'm planning on this story to be around 26, 27, or 28 chapters long (give or take a few).**


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: Some of you reviewed like Sakaki coming would bring the end of the world. It really isn't as bad as you think...  
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Chapter 17**

Jirou was sitting by the fireplace on the first floor with his ipod blaring when the door opened. He tugged the little white speakers out and the music filled the air around him as Sakaki and Ryuzaki walked in. It wasn't his usual pop or work-out music, it had a heavy beat and just seemed to fit the air around him; angry, sad, pissed to the point of killing.

"They're here!" Fuji yelled up the steps as he came running down. He smiled at the two and asked how their trip was.

"Long," Sakaki said bluntly. He looked around and quickly asked, "Where's Atobe?"

"Why?" Jirou asked. Really, did he only care about his captain? Whenever he needed something it was Atobe. Their captain could always skip practice, but no one else could because they were never good enough. That's how Jirou saw it. That's how Sakaki wanted him to see it. That's how Atobe hated it.

Sakaki held in the urge to huff and tell him to stop acting stupid by saying, "He didn't send me a report yesterday and I'm sure that he's worried about what's going on with Oshitari right now."

"Where exactly is Oshitari-kun?" Ryuzaki asked worriedly.

"I'll show you. Do you wish to join us, Sakaki-san?" Fuji asked as he and Ryuzaki began to walk up the stairs. He said he would like to see Atobe, if that was okay (not that he carried if it was okay or not). Fuji lead them upstairs and then the second they left Niou came in from the kitchen and whistled.

"I'd hate to be Atobe," he said as he sat next to Jirou.

"Why is that?" Jirou asked as he rolled up his headphones around his ipod.

Niou almost laughed. "That man… he's not right. I don't know why, I just don't like the way the air seems to run out of my lungs whenever I see him."

"Yukimura does that," Jirou pointed out bluntly.

"Yeah," Niou agreed, "but he doesn't kick people off the team because they fail once. People fuck up, that's life. But they shouldn't be punished because they're human."

Jirou shrugged. "Sakaki leads us to great heights. We follow him and we succeed when we do, but even then, it's not enough sometimes and that's why he changes us out."

"And when changing people like meat doesn't work?"

"We fall."

Jirou plugged his earphones back in like nothing had happened. Like he has had to say that a thousand times before.

*

Atobe heard the bedroom door 'thud' shut and he groaned mentally when he heard Sakaki say, "You couldn't keep it in your goddamn pants, could you?" to his back. Atobe turned around and he just glared.

"Oshitari couldn't," Atobe corrected.

Sakaki huffed. "He didn't need to, he isn't the captain. You _should_ have humored him. Now I need to clean up this mess. Only a moron like you would get caught."

"By 'I' do you mean me?" Atobe asked with a sigh.

Sakaki smile was sickly like a witch's as she rode past the moon on her broom. "You're catching on. Get everybody all happy-happy so Ryuzaki doesn't slit my throat in my sleep. If you don't, well, you know that I have great influence over that hospital." He opened the door and walked out, gently closing it behind him.

Atobe found it amusing to picture that old lady slitting his throat. It was a pleasant thought.

But the thought of that man controlling his mother's medical problems didn't get laughed away.

Atobe stood up and wished something in his life would be right for at least ten minutes. That would make all of this so much easier.

*

Hiyoshi heard the door slam from down the hall and sat up from his sleep. He turned to get off the bed, but felt someone holding him back. He turned and saw Mukahi smiling in his sleep. He gently pulled his arm away and watched Mukahi shift and tuck his arm into his chest. Hiyoshi got out of the room just in time to see Sakaki leaving his own room.

Hiyoshi gave him a confused look and Sakaki explained. "Just seeing how the camp is going; I didn't get a report from Atobe the other day." Hiyoshi made a small 'oh' as Sakaki walked away. Hiyoshi opened the door to his room just in time to see Atobe kicking the end of the bed.

"Damn it!" he cursed at the top of his lungs. He panted as he fell to the floor, running his hands through his hair. Atobe was like a pressurized can: ready to explode if heated. He had just exploded into a mist that burned flesh.

Hiyoshi knocked on the door frame and Atobe looked up. He got to his feet before Hiyoshi could even blink. He walked by the boy who would replace him, and darted for the bathroom. Hiyoshi frowned for a second, and then remembered that Atobe had once told him that emotions were a sign of weakness. He removed his feeling of pity and turned to go down into the kitchen to find Ohtori.

Hiyoshi listened, lived, on every word Atobe said. He was a great captain, a great man, a great dream. Hiyoshi could never be like him; composed, poised, strong. But, Hiyoshi was confused; he had never seen Atobe take his anger out any other way than tennis. Maybe there was more to him…

No.

He was nothing more than the man who broke his sempai's heart.

Hiyoshi reached the end of the stairs and overheard Sanada and Tezuka talking as he walked towards the kitchen.

"So, you're really going to apply?"

Sanada nodded. "Yeah… I just need a change of pace."

Hiyoshi knew they were probably talking about high school exams. Everyone at his school was going loony over them, he didn't even want to know or think about the other schools who actually had academic standards – Hyotei had money standards.

Hiyoshi pushed the door open and saw Ohtori sitting at the table talking to Shishido. He sat down next to his tall friend and sighed as he rested his head against the table.

"How's Mukahi?" Shishido asked casually, but it was obvious he was trying to avoid something.

Hiyoshi lifted his head and shrugged. "He's crying. I've never seen him cry before. Did we do the right thing, Chourtarou?"

"We can only hope so."

Shishido raised an eyebrow. "You guys told him?" The two second years nodded and Shishido leaned back in his chair. "I guess Hyotei is in good hands, even if I leave."

"Huh?" Hiyoshi was even more confused about that than Atobe.

"No offense of anything, Hiyoshi, but you're not exactly the kind of guy to be at the top. You've always wanted to get there, but you've never been there. You need to be harsh and cruel sometimes. I just never knew you could actually do it."

"That's what you were talking about when I walked in?" Hiyoshi asked with a drained voice.

Shishido nodded and Ohtori looked like a freakin' bobble head. "You guys are way too gay." Hiyoshi stood up and left to take a walk.

"We're not gay…" Shishido mumbled as he glanced over at Ohtori.

He flushed like a brick and once again bobbled like a bobble head. "Right!"

Shishido smiled. "Come on. I wanna check out what that Momoshiro does to train."

Ohtori smiled and stopped flushing. "Right!"

"Stop saying right."

"Right!"

Shishido groaned.

* * *

**A/N: That last part was pretty random. The next chapter goes into a little bit more of Oshitari stuff again, and then he's out for the rest of the story.**


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

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**Chapter 18**

Hiyoshi liked taking walks. Not only was it good exercise if he walked fast enough, but he was alone. He liked be alone. Well, most of Hyotei knew that. Before Hiyoshi even joined the tennis team, he would spend all of his time by himself doing his weird moves in silence. It calmed him. It reminded him that a warrior didn't need anyone.

Then he saw Atobe playing tennis.

It looked fun. That was the main reason he started playing (besides beating Atobe that is). After that, he started to branch out and talk to people. Not many people, but people. He actually joined the karate club as well and that surprised everyone to death.

Hiyoshi took in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

They hadn't all changed for the better, some of them had changed for the worse. But everyone had changed after joining the tennis club. Mukahi went from naïve and sweet to rude and annoying (though he would probably change back given time). Atobe went from actually talking to people people to business people. Shishido had cut is hair, enough said. Ohtori had started gaining a little confidence. And Hiyoshi… he had friends and a new nickname, Piyo (even if he hated it).

Hiyoshi pivoted on his feet and walked back inside with his hands in his pockets. He reached for the knob when the door opened. He darted back and hide behind the nearest tree. Sakaki and Ryuzaki were chatting casually, but when the door closed behind them, their faces became very serious and it almost scared Hiyoshi… _almost._

"What are you going to do about Oshitari-kun?" Ryuzaki asked as she leaned against the door so no one would come out.

Sakaki crossed his arms and didn't wait to speak. He probably already knew what to say, he always knew what to say. "I have contacted his parents and they are quite mad, but have accepted the reality and Oshitari will return him with us, he is already waiting in the car. I have also contacted the schoolm" Sakaki said as if he was upset. Hiyoshi knew he probably wasn't, he had never seen that man lose his cool.

"And?"

"They cannot suspend them because there is no physical proof and we are not on school grounds."

Hiyoshi knew that was enough. He didn't need to hear how Oshitari was going to get away with everything. He sneaked his way out to the front of the cabin and came through the front door. He walked up those stairs and realized just how heavy his legs felt.

He walked to the end of the hall and knocked on Mukahi's door, knowing he would still be in there. He heard Mukahi faintly say he could come in. When he opened the door Mukahi was listening to his music while skimming through a book of high schools.

"Hey," Hiyoshi mumbled as he closed the door behind him and walked over to Oshitari's old bed. Mukahi set his book down and mumbled, "Hey," back.

"Oshitari-sempai is leaving," Hiyoshi said after a moment or two of silence.

Mukahi nodded. "Yuushi's gone…" That's whenever really hit home for Mukahi. He started to cry again even though he had just stopped five minutes before Hiyoshi walked in. "I loved him. I don't care if he didn't love me, I loved him."

Hiyoshi got up and sat next to his sempai. Hiyoshi literally became Mukahi's crying shoulder. Hiyoshi gently ran his fingers through Mukahi's hair. "You say you loved him. Not love. I know you're hurt, but you need to move on."

Mukahi sits up on his own and rubs the snot underneath his nose away with the sleeve of his shirt. "I know, but…" He looked up at Oshitari's bed. "I keep thinking he'll be there tonight like nothing had happened."

Hiyoshi got up (again) and sat on Oshitari's bed. "What if I stay here?" Hiyoshi asked.

"What? Hiyoshi, that's just ridiculous."

"No, it's not ridiculous!" Hiyoshi argued. Okay, yeah, it was. But only because Hiyoshi didn't want to sleep there, he only wanted to make sure his sempai was happy and if he had to sleep there to do that then he would. "If I sleep here, you'll forget about him."

Mukahi forced a smile. "Thank you."

Hiyoshi gave a faint hearted smile back, and then it disappeared the second Shishido opened the door. "They're leaving," he told them. He glanced at Mukahi. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. You never liked the fact that we were getting all close in a way you could never get to with your partner. Now, go be a good errand boy and tell everyone else."

Hiyoshi just blinked at Mukahi after Shishido nodded and left. "He should have punched you…"

"I figure if he still thinks I'm upset then I can milk this situation for all it's worth," he said with the best smile Hiyoshi had ever seen him give.

Maybe Mukahi was changing back quicker than Hiyoshi expected.

*

"They're leaving," Shishido said as he opened the door. Atobe looked up from his book and said he would be down in a second. He set his book down and began to walk towards the door.

"Kabaji, check my email," Atobe said absent mindedly as he left the room.

Kabaji nodded. "Usu." He reached over and grabbed Atobe's laptop and typed in the password for his email. Kabaji didn't mind helping Atobe, the boy was always there for him when he needed him so he didn't see why he couldn't return the favor with small tasks.

Kabaji skimmed the list of new and unread messages. He deleted a few from high school – Atobe already knew where he was going – and then figured the rest could wait. Then he saw one from an Akira Atobe. He clicked on it out of pure curiosity because he didn't recognize the name. When he began to read, he finally remembered that it was Atobe's aunt's name.

---

_Dear Keigo,_

_I hope your trip is going well. I spoke to Tora, the chef, and she said that there was a problem with the wine. Is something wrong? Are you drinking again? I know I may seem like a nosey aunt (I am), but I'm just worried about you._

_You can trust me, Keigo._

_Love,  
Auntie Akira_

---

Kabaji furrowed his brow and shut Atobe's laptop. He laid down, putting his hands behind his head. The only thing running through his mind was that Atobe was drinking again.

Atobe had a problem with drinking after his mother was in the hospital. It had gotten even worse as of lately because of his constant need to impress people. But Atobe said he had stopped… two months ago was it? Or maybe one? It didn't really matter, he stopped.

It meant Mukahi.

Yeah, Mukahi…

*

"Atobe, Shishido," Sakaki said as he got into the driver's seat of a fancy car. Ryuzaki was in the passenger seat and Oshitari was in the back. He winked at Atobe and the captain wanted to gag. Atobe turned around and stormed inside, leaving Shishido outside.

He walked up the stairs and saw Jirou sitting in one of the beanbags by the TV. "You should get some sleep," he told him.

Jirou looked up and then down at his blanket and pillow. "I'm sleeping out here tonight."

Atobe nodded and began to walk away. He turned around and whispered, "I'm sorry," so softly Jirou barely heard it.

"Sorry? For what?" Jirou looked confused. "I don't know you."

Atobe silently turned around and walked back into his room to get some sleep. That was not what he needed. At least _not now_.

Jirou sunk into the beanbag and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He tried so hard not to cry. He didn't mean it, he didn't mean anything. He just wanted Atobe to care enough to show something, anything. To show that he actually cared about their friendship. To show he actually cared about him.

* * *

**A/N: I know the chapters I have been short, but there are a few long ones coming up soon. Atobe and Jirou do make up soon and there's a delightful little scene with them in the next chapter!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Warning: Atobe does naughty stuff with himself! Don't kill me for my sad attempt at writing it!**

**Note: There is a dream, but I don't feel like doing a huge italicized block for it because I know how annoying that is to read so I'll just let you figure out what it is (it's obvious once you read enough anyways). I went ahead and made a note by the * too.  
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**Chapter 19**

Atobe sat up and had to force his eyes opened. He glanced over at Kabaji who was reading some book on his bed. Atobe rubbed his head and quickly asked Kabaji if he had any new email (he had forgotten when he came in last night). Kabaji didn't glance from his book as he said, "Just one from your aunt. She seemed worried, you should call her."

Atobe stood up and yawned as he stretched. "I will later. I need to make sure Jirou didn't suffocate over night right now." Kabaji 'hm'ed as Atobe left him to his book.

Atobe walked down the hall and saw Jirou fidgeting in his sleep as he moved around the beanbag. Atobe sighed and kneeled down next to the boy. He gently rested his hand on the shoulder and began to call out his name, hoping that would wake him up.

"Atobe…" Jirou shifted in his sleep again. But not just any shift, he arched his back. "Gods…" He moaned, turned, and Atobe's hand was trapped underneath his chest because of that last turn. Atobe tried to pull away and that's what made Jirou wake up. The blonde blinked the sleep out of his eyes.

"Uh…" Atobe looked down at the noticeable bulge in Jirou's pants and curled his lips into his mouth to keep himself from sounding like an incoherent moron.

Jirou looked down and turned bright red. "I can _so_ explain this."

"You were…? About me?" Atobe didn't actually want to say what he was thinking because that would definitely make the situation ten times more awkward. Just last night they had been fighting and now… now… _that_. He couldn't get his eyes off of _that_.

Jirou nodded. "Yeah," he admitted with a slight blush (he actually did get redder). "I like you, a lot." He sat up and looped his arms around Atobe's neck. "I want you, A-to-be."

Jirou leaned in and parted his lips slightly as he not-so-gently kissed Atobe square on the lips. Atobe couldn't think as Jirou closed his eyes. Somewhere along the way, Atobe just gave in and closed his eyes and let Jirou yank him down.

* **(Note: That was a dream!)** *

Atobe sat up and winced. He sat laid back down again and moved his hand down slowly. "_Fuuuuck_," he hissed as he felt himself through his shorts. He looked around and no one else was in his room. He somehow managed to swing his legs off the bed and awkwardly waddle to the door. He could always get a freezing cold shower. Yes, that always worked when he was dreaming about making out with his best friend!

Atobe closed the door when he saw a line in front of the bathroom. That would _not_ work. He sighed and looked down. It was almost painful. He couldn't get the dream out of his head. He couldn't get Jirou's voice out of his head. He didn't _want_ to get them out of his head.

He reached behind him and locked the door quickly as his other hand slithered into his boxers. He slide his back against the door and let out a small mewl as he hit the floor.

He knew it was wrong with what had just happened Oshitari. He shouldn't be thinking about anyone, let alone the boy who had just given him the reality check of a lifetime the night before.

Atobe was too entranced by the thought of Jirou to even hear someone knock on the door.

"Atobe," Jirou tried again. "Open up already. I need to get some clothes on now."

Atobe groaned at the thought of Jirou standing on the other side of the door soaking wet with nothing but a small white towel clinging to his hips. "Jirou…" Atobe gasped and bit his lip to muffle it as best he could. He slipped his hand out of his pants the second Jirou called his name again.

Atobe had to force his legs keep him up with pure will power. He did the only thing he could think of; take off his shirt, cover his messy hand, and hold said shirt in front of his boxers so Jirou wouldn't notice. He unlocked the door and pulled it open to see a soaked drama queen standing there with one hand on his hip.

"You need to lock the door when you change?" Jirou asked, not that he was complaining after what had happened a few nights ago.

Atobe nodded and closed the door as Jirou walked by him. Jirou accidently bumped into him and both boys froze in place. Neither one really wanted to say anything. Both – though they didn't really know why – just wanted to stand there and awkwardly stare at the other.

Atobe was the first to move. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out shorts, new boxers which he desperately needed, and a new t-shirt. He dressed with his back to Jirou and Jirou did the same to him. They had both finished, but neither turned around –they were too afraid of seeing the other.

"Atobe…?" Jirou asked as he turned his head slightly. Atobe did the same. Jirou sighed and just collapsed onto his bed. "God, what are we? Five?"

Atobe didn't know if Jirou was going to start another fight and make him feel like he was scum again, or if he was honestly trying to make Atobe feel like scum. Wait, either way, that's what Atobe thought Jirou was trying to do, make him feel like scum.

"What's wrong with us?" Jirou asked as he sprawled his arms out to his sides. "Ever since this stupid camp started we've been fighting."

Atobe tried to make his way over and fought off that awkward air around them as he sat next to his friend. "I hate it," Atobe admitted.

"Me too." Jirou moved and rested his head on Atobe's lap, completely unaware that it was sending jolts of worry throughout Atobe's already frantic mind. Jirou looked at Atobe with innocent eyes. "Can we just forget what happened with Oshitari? Can we go back to how things used to be?"

_Can we go back to how it was before I fell in love with you?_

Atobe looked into those baby-like eyes in search of something. He couldn't find anything, but he didn't need it to say, "I'd like that," because that was what he knew was true (with or without proof).

Jirou sat up and smiled at Atobe. "Good. Now, one more question…" Atobe asked what it was. Jirou pushed Atobe down onto his back and Jirou rested his head on Atobe's stomach. "I left my pillow out by the TV and I didn't sleep at all last night. Can I sleep here?"

"I guess I should allow you to sleep on me because, after all, I am the best pillow." Atobe was cursing himself mentally for acting like that. He hated acting like a spoiled brat because he really was like his father when he did.

"Really?" Jirou asked through his laughter.

"Really."

They smiled into their sleep; neither telling the other, neither dreaming of the other, all because they already had each other, they just didn't realize it.

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**A/N: Finally some Atoji time! The next chapter is just this little filler thing that has a bit of funny little moments (well, I think it does) so it's short.**

**Anyways, hope you liked my **_**sad **_**attempt at making Jirou and Atobe make up after Atobe had just masturbated with Jirou's face in his head :D**

**Yes, I did just use a ":D" thingy. **

**This is one of my all time favorite quotes so far: "They smiled into their sleep; neither telling the other, neither dreaming of the other, all because they already had each other, they just didn't realize it."**

**Ah, anyways, the next chapter is ANOTHER short chapter (yes, I know I already said that), but after that they should be around 2,000 again.**


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: This is really short and I wrote it in like five minutes and there's not much description or anything… This is a true filler.**

**Note II: I reached 100 reviews! I didn't really reply to any and I apologize, but thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter!**

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**Chapter 20**

Niou and Yukimura were sitting outback in the grass, just chatting, when Yukimura had to bring up Marui. They had been spending so much time together lately because they actually had a lot in common besides tennis, but Yukimura always ruined it.

"You need to tell him," the captain said sternly.

Niou nodded absent mindedly. "Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know. Jirou said the same thing."

Yukimura raised his eyebrows (hey, not everyone here can do just one!). "Jirou?"

Niou sighed and fell on the grass with his hands behind his head. "Yeah, the guy just figured it out." Niou didn't even want to think about what Jirou had told him, what he had told Jirou. He knew what he spouted about Marui being happy was bull. He wanted to be happy; he just didn't want to get hurt.

Yukimura made a sound. "Hm."

"So, are you going to tell Sanada you don't want him to go?" Yukimura glared at him. "The guy's just going to another school."

"With Tezuka."

"You can see him whenever you want," Niou added.

"He'll be with Tezuka."

Niou shrugged. "It's not like Sanada's gay, is he? Well, for you he might be, but I think he is anyways. I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"_Tezuka."_

Niou sat up. "What the hell is up with you?"

"Niou. Yukimura."

Niou turned around and saw Tezuka standing there with his arms crossed. Niou looked over at Yukimura. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I was _trying_ to be subtle."

Niou rolled his eyes and pushed himself up. "Whatever the hell that is. I'm gonna go bug Yagyuu now." He looked at Tezuka and then down at Yukimura. "Puri~"

Tezuka waited until Niou went inside to sit down next to Yukimura. He tensed as Tezuka leaned back on his hands. He had never seen Tezuka relax, let alone… that. He was always so stoic, even when he saw him as a first year. He had always wanted to ask him how he managed to stay wrinkle free with a face like that.

"I tried to stop him, you know," Tezuka said without even looking at Yukimura. "You should just talk to him. If you ask him to stay, then he will."

Yukimura shook his head. "You don't get it. What if Fuji wanted to leave? Would you stop him if you knew you'd be taking away his happiness, _his future_?"

Tezuka couldn't answer.

*

Niou moved the curtain out of the way to get a better view of Tezuka and Yukimura.

"Niou-kun, what are you doing?" Yagyuu asked with a heavy sigh as he stepped up behind his partner.

Niou turned around and smirked. "Watching Yukimura fight off the urge to beat Tezuka to a bloody pulp with his headband."

"Is he succeeding?"

"Not a damn bit."

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**A/N: This is just a really short thing I needed for a filler. See, I already wrote the next chapter, but I didn't want to post it yet because Jirou and Atobe went to bed at like 8 and that was just a waste of a day. Plus I've been hinting at something with Yukimura for awhile now and I just wanted to clear it up; he's just screwed up because Sanada's going to Seigaku next year, not Rikkaidai. **

**Anyways, I got off early from school today and wrote chapter 24! I'm updating every day this weekend so yeah for two more chapters not incluing this one!  
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	22. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Claimer: This an incredibly small OC, but I really don't give a crap if you "steal" her. I just took a random name and put a face on it.  
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**Chapter 21**

Atobe opened his eyes (something he hadn't done in ages, or so it seemed) and looked around. Jirou was by his side with drool coming out of his mouth like a monsoon. Atobe sat up and poked the blonde in the shoulder and he quickly woke up. Jirou sat up and failed at trying to lick the drool back into his mouth. He ended up just pulling his shirt up and wiping it off.

"What time is it? Noon?" Atobe asked as he rubbed his eyes.

Jirou reached over and grabbed his cell phone. "Seven in the morning."

Atobe furrowed his brow and looked at the phone in the blonde's hand. "We slept for twenty three hours?"

Jirou shrugged. "I went twenty nine once." He jumped up and did a little wake-up dance that he hadn't done for a few days. Atobe gave him a slightly amused look and Jirou stuck his tongue out at him. "What? I'm happy! Plus, that was the most sleep I've had in ages!"

Atobe smiled and stood up. "Okay, okay." He looked down at their clothes and then shrugged. Jirou shrugged back and grabbed Atobe by the wrist.

"Come on, Tobear, we need to get something to eat. I'm huuungry." Jirou began to pull his captain out of their room and oddly enough didn't mind the fact that he was almost holding Atobe's hand – Atobe didn't mind either, but he was too distracted by what Jirou had called him to even realize Jirou was practically holding his hand.

"What did you just call me?" Atobe asked as he wiggled his hand out of Jirou's grip half way down the stairs.

Jirou jumped down the last two and smiled up at Atobe. "Tobear. Atobe… Atobear. Tobear."

Atobe nodded slowly as he made it down the rest of the stairs. "Since when is that my nickname?"

"Hmm, since a minute ago. Isn't it manly," he teased.

"Very."

Jirou didn't really care anymore. He wanted to forget everything, and he had. It was just him and Atobe as friends. He could ignore his feelings because they would probably go away and he could live with that. He'd rather have Atobe as a friend than as a stranger or a lover.

"Let's get some food!" Jirou sprinted into the kitchen and Atobe follow him as he shook his head.

He really did care. What Jirou said to him couldn't get out of his head. He wasn't ashamed to have Jirou as a friend. He loved having that hyper active blonde as a friend… He just didn't want him to get hurt. He didn't want to lose him because he was the closest thing to a second Kabaji he had.

Atobe and Jirou stayed in the kitchen eating when the chef came in. She laughed with the boys and was glad to hear that "Keigo had good friends." They ended up just staying in that room until everyone came in for breakfast. Atobe and Jirou sat down at separate sides of the table as people filtered in. Tezuka and Yukimura, who apparently forgot to fill Atobe in (probably because they couldn't find him) yesterday on today's activities were starting to go over just what they were doing when Mukahi came in.

The room went silent and everyone just stared at him. He hadn't felt his room (except to go to the bathroom) since he found out about Oshitari. He sat down next to Jirou and nodded to Tezuka and Yukimura.

Tezuka nodded back and continued what he had been saying. "We will be holding a competition outside today. We will be in our regular teams, but will not be wearing their school jerseys."

"That would get really messy," Yukimura added in.

"Hyotei will be wearing white T-shirts, Rikkaidai will be red, and we will be black."

"Now, if you would," Yukimura said with a smile and a clap of his hands, "let's go get changed and meet in the foyer as soon as possible."

The boys quickly finished eating their breakfast and began to filter upstairs to change. Jirou held the door open for Hiyoshi, but he walked right by. He furrowed his brow and stuck his head down the hall.

"Piyo? Are you leaving us? We haven't hazed you yet!" He laughed as Hiyoshi's cheeks flushed a soft pink. Mukahi patted Jirou on the back and joined in on laughing at their younger teammate.

"It's okay, Jirou," Mukahi told him as he grabbed his side as he roared his laughter like a lion. "We'll make him wear the tutu at school!"

Hiyoshi shook his head. Apparently his sempai had a _very_ sick sense of inside jokes.

*

When the boys came back downstairs, Niou and Marui were standing in front of three large piles of water guns. The teams took the ones they were told to and Yukimura explained as they began to walk outside (they really did need to be outside for this).

"The water guns are filled with paint that matches your team's shirt," he explained. "Just shoot at other teams. There really is no winner, it's just for fun."

Niou huffed. "Paint? So that's why we couldn't touch them."

Yukimura nodded. "Yes, I figured I didn't want to explain to Atobe as to why his cabin was suddenly redecorated."

"Thank you," Atobe said as he examined his gun.

"Atobe, where is the closest open field?" Tezuka asked. He and Yukimura couldn't think of everything with Atobe sleeping all day yesterday. They're not _that_ good.

Atobe looked at Kabaji who shrugged. He looked back at Tezuka and put on his best I-am-awesome face. "I can probably get us there in twenty minutes."

Tezuka nodded and lead the boys outside. They walked through the line of trees and ended up walking down a small dirt trail. They went on in silence. Smaller conversations and plans between the teams seemed to come and go as they walked.

The grass was about up their knees by the point they exited the trees, but Atobe noticed a small section not too far ahead that had been flattened. He hastily made his way over and was shocked (to say the least) to see a petit girl laying there looking up at the sky. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a shoulder length pony tail, but it was hidden beneath her brown sweatshirt.

"Megumi?" His voice cracked and the girl smiled as she sat up.

"Megumi?" the group behind him echoed. Jirou choked on air.

Atobe looked over his shoulder and held up the one-minute finger.

"Keigo!"

"Keigo?" the group echoed again.

Atobe wanted to yell at them for being rude, but the fact that the girl was hugging him was making it rather difficult.

"What are you doing here? "she asked.

Atobe rolled his eyes and she laughed. "You always ask the dumbest questions, this is my family's property! So, what are you doing on _my _family's property?"

"You called and I figured I would come and visit you if you were up here and I kind of got lost…" She looked around nervously and then looked back at Atobe. "So, are you up here working for your father?"

"My father and another slave driver."

"Another?" the group echoed. Again. Jirou was still hacking up his lungs in the back.

Atobe had had enough of the laughing and echoing. He turned around and gestured to the group of boys. "Everyone, this is Megumi. Megumi, this is everyone."

She nodded slowly and waved, mostly towards Kabaji though. Then she got on her toes and whispered, "Are they your gay support group?" in his ear. He shook his head and she shrugged again. "Can't blame me for asking. Besides, I was, like, the first person you told and I wasn't much support, right?" She nudged his elbow and he wanted to die.

"First person to tell what, Atobe?" Fuji's smile was too sweet.

The girl waved her hand and smiled. "Nothing, nothing." She got back on her toes. "They don't know? You're in a cabin full of hot guys and haven't felt any of them up? Did I teach you _anything_ when you were here last year?"

Atobe grabbed her shoulders and whispered into her ear, "I learned that yelling at you when you think your pregnant isn't a good idea when my privates are within kicking range." He roughly let go and watched her smirk.

"Please, you know that was one hell of a night. Besides, it's not like you would be the father." She looked him up and down and then Shishido coughed. Oddly enough, Atobe turned when Shishido let out that wimpy cough, even though Jirou just finished dying.

"If you two are done we need to get going, don't we, Atobe?"

Atobe looked at the group and noticed that several of them were kicking or yelling at Shishido. It's not every day you meet an old friend of Atobe's who doesn't act like they have a pole up their ass, let alone a girl. He sighed and looked back at Megumi.

"We'll be done in an hour or so, unless you care to join us?"

She smiled. "Sure, why not? Besides, I need to catch up with you and Munehiro on some things. I haven't seen you guys since last year and I'm dying to catch up."

Atobe patted her back, pushing her forward. "At least talk while we walk, I don't really care to be in a field when the people behind me are caring water guns filled with paint."

Jirou, Shishido, and the majority of the boys were dumbfounded. Most of them looked to Kabaji for the answers to their many questions because Yukimura looked just as confused as they did.

"I thought Atobe was gay," Momo said bluntly. Atobe never "officially" came out of the closet and made a public announcement, but most people assumed after he was caught with Oshitari (when they were going out – not when Oshitari turned into a rapist cheater) in the clubroom that he was leaning towards the general direction.

"Usu."

"Is she like an old girlfriend?" Shishido asked. Shishido had once fought over a girl with Atobe (a number of painful smashes were involved), but Atobe gave her up without a fight (after a few smashes to the rear).

"Usu."

"But I thought he was gay!" Marui yelled in confusion.

"Usu."

They groaned. Then Echizen, the only one with a brain, spoke up. "Are you only answering in the positive to avoid confrontation?"

"Usu."

By that point Jirou had to force himself to keep walking and had to keep reminding himself to breathe as he listened in on Kabaji's interrogation.

_Okay… So, that's Megumi._

Maybe Jirou would go back to worrying.

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**A/N: You remember Megumi, right? Atobe had a little chat with her a few chapters ago. She just sticks around for a bit and actually helps get the Atoji stuff going. This story is going to end fairly soon actually. This is sort of how I'm planning it: 26 chapters. I have all of them written besides 25.  
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**The whole "water guns filled with paint" is something me and my friends did… only we used water balloons. That was the biggest mess in the world, but it's so much fun. **


	23. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

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**Chapter 22**

"Gah, so tired!" Momo complained as he opened the door to the cabin… in his underwear. See, Yukimura and Tezuka hadn't thought their plan the whole way through and just hoped the paint would have dried when they got back. It didn't. So, now they were all in their underwear (well, everyone except Megumi because that would just be awkward), standing there with their clothes in their hands, with newly highlighted hair.

"It's almost time for dinner," Oishi pointed out. "We should all get changed and just come back down."

They boys agreed and all made their way upstairs. All but Megumi, Kabaji, and Atobe.

"Well," she said with a huge smirk, "this certainly does bring back memories."

"Memories?" Atobe asked, slightly confused as to what his friend was talking about.

She smiled and leaned against the wall by the door. "You know, down at the lake. Surely you remember seeing me in my underwear too." She glanced down at her clothes. "Speaking of which, unless you want me to walk around naked and sleep in the same bed as someone, you better tell me where I'm staying; I'm not walking back to my dad's cabin on the other side of the lake."

"What size are you?"

"You do not need to know my cup size. Sorry, Keigo, but I'm not that close to you," she teased. Atobe crossed his arms and Kabaji gave her a soft smile, the closest thing he has to a laugh. "Um, like two." Atobe raised his eyebrows as if she was waiting. "Fine! Four!"

Atobe smiled and uncrossed his arms. "Now, was that too hard?" She glared at him and told him to shove it. Atobe glanced over at Kabaji. "Go ask Mukahi or Shishido for clothes. And Megumi," he turned back to her, "we have an extra bed in our room. I'm sure Jirou wouldn't mind."

"Jirou… Was that that guy who was silent the whole paint-war thing?" Megumi asked.

Atobe had to think for a second before answering. Jirou was actually fairly quiet compared to how he was that morning when he was calling him Toebear. "Yeah, that was him. Kabaji, clothes."

Kabaji nodded. "Usu." He grabbed Megumi and when she wouldn't walk he put her on his shoulder like he does Jirou, and carried her upstairs. She screamed and kicked the whole way up, but once they were out of site, Atobe went up after them to make sure she didn't kill Kabaji.

Megumi was… temperamental. Atobe had known her since he was four and Kabaji meet her when they moved back to Japan from Europe little over two years ago. Her father was a close acquaintance of Atobe's father so naturally the two spent time together. Her father actually owned a cabin on the other side of the lake so they ran into each other a lot during the summer.

Atobe headed upstairs, and saw Megumi waiting outside the bathroom and Kabaji going into Mukahi and Shishido's room as he open the door to his own room. He tossed his clothes onto his bed and opened up his dresser. He slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

"Done yet?" Jirou asked from his bed. He was trying to pick out the paint in his hair, but he wasn't all that successful. He honestly wasn't trying to get the paint out of his hair, he was just trying to find a way to stare at Atobe without seeming like a gay freak (which he was pretty sure he was).

Atobe nodded. "I just have to make sure Kabaji found some clothes for Megumi. I'll be down in a minute, you don't need to wait for me."

"I don't mind waiting. Who is she anyways?" Jirou asked as he swung his feet off his bed. He opened the door and let Atobe walk out first. He really did wonder if Atobe liked her because if he did that means he might not be gay, he might have just gone out with Oshitari to keep the team together, and he might really be straight. Atobe might not like him if that was the case.

"An old friend."

"Like an old girlfriend?" Jirou leaned against their door.

"I never thought of her like that."

Jirou didn't know whether to believe him or not, but he trusted him enough to believe that for now. He leaned off the door as Kabaji came up to him. As Kabaji closed the door Jirou leaned on it again. He watched Megumi lock the bathroom door behind her.

"She's pretty," Jirou admitted. He watched Atobe's face to see what he could pick up on.

He shrugged. "I've known her since she was six and I think of her like a sister… It'd be weird for me to think that."

He didn't know just what that feeling was, but if felt good. It felt like he was playing against Marui and winning (which had only happened once and Marui was sick when that happened). He was glad that Atobe didn't think of her like that. He still didn't like that she was around, but he liked that he didn't like her.

The second Atobe had finished talking Megumi opened up the door to the bathroom and walked out wearing baggy sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt. She frowned at Atobe. "You owe me."

"Fine, you can sleep on a bed instead of the sofa." He glanced down at Jirou. "Unless you have a problem with her sleeping in Hiyoshi's bed."

"He's staying with Mukahi for the rest of camp?" Jirou knew Hiyoshi had slept with Mukahi (not like that), but he didn't know he was staying.

Atobe nodded as if he was unsure. "I'm pretty sure."

Jirou looked at Megumi and shrugged. "Whatever, I don't care."

Megumi laughed and patted Jirou on the back. "You're pretty cool for an emo boy!"

Jirou blinked and gave Atobe a confused look. Kabaji came out that second and kept Jirou from asking what she meant because he just had to say they needed to get downstairs to eat. Megumi and Kabaji quickly made their way downstairs to meet up with everyone else.

Jirou looked over at Atobe who was grinning. "It's not funny," Jirou said as they began to walk. "She thinks I'm emo. I'm not depressed. I just have a lot on my mind."

Atobe stopped walking and a second later Jirou did to. "You can talk to me," Atobe said in a comforting voice. "What's on your mind?"

_I love you for starters. I know something is up with your mom. Oh, and I think Megumi is crazy._

Jirou waved his hand, dismissing the subject. "Nothing. I just mean with school and stuff. I'm fine, really."

"Okay, I trust you. We should go downstairs; Megumi will eat everything if we don't."

Jirou smiled, but not because Atobe had just failed miserably at making a joke, but because he trusted him again. Now, if only Jirou trusted Atobe.

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**A/N: Okay, so, the next chapter is a lot more interesting than this one. I just sort of had to introduce Megumi a bit more. She's the one who basically gets Atobe and Jirou together in chapter 25 which I can not seem to write... I know I promised this would be longer, but if I added in anymore flippin' paragraphs I would have gone insane! Here's Megumi's little bio thingy:**

**Name:  
** Megumi

**Age:  
** 16

**Grade:  
** Second year HS

**School:  
** Hyotei HS

**Hobbies:****  
**Business, talking, living

**Connection to Atobe:****  
**Like a sister, a very old friend who often runs into him at the lake by his aunt's house. Her father owns a cabin on the other side of the lake, so she spent many summers with him and Kabaji. Her father is Atobe's mother's private doctor and makes all emergency decisions. She thinks of Atobe's mother as her own since she never really got the chance to know hers (she died when Megumi was young).


	24. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: I'm so freakin' hyper and I typed this thing out so quickly it's not even funny. So, on that note, please excuse any lame mistakes I might have made because I REALLY didn't feel like going back and re-reading it like ten times to find out I missed one freakin' comma. **

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**Chapter 23**

Atobe was mad. No, he was pissed. Megumi spent all of dinner writing a book of his embarrassing stories out loud. He knew Inui and Yanagi were writing like crazy. He knew Jirou was laughing his ass off. And he knew that girl was going to die.

Okay, maybe not die…

But she would regret it! Somehow, in the near future. Okay, never. Atobe couldn't stand up to her. He was like the sister he never had, just like Kabaji was the brother he never had.

Atobe was the last one to take a shower that night, and by the time he got to his room, everyone else was already asleep. He sighed and sat on his bed, swiftly pulling the covers over his bare chest. He closed his eyes and hoped he could have a calm dream for once.

*

"_Keigo-kun," Megumi's father said as he stepped farther into their hospital room, "I need to talk to your mother alone."_

_Atobe shifted uncomfortably in his bed and looked over at Kabaji and then Megumi. He looked back at the man who was close friends with his farther and didn't show his weaknesses, something he was good at. "You can say whatever you need to in front of me."_

_He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Alright, but it's not exactly all unicorns and rainbows."_

"_They're in the hospital after that bastard beat them, dad. I think they know it's not exactly all unicorns and rainbows," Megumi said coldly._

_He smiled and her even though he was disappointed. He hadn't wanted his little girl to turn into a beautiful potty mouth party girl. He never asked for her to turn out like that, but she just did. He still loved her though, something Atobe never understood._

_If someone didn't like the way their child turned out, he figured everyone would be like his father. Atobe couldn't understand how Megumi's father was happy if he didn't like who she was. He didn't understand love in general. It's a useless emotion for the weak._

_Her father sighed. "Alright then." He turned to Atobe's mother and she nodded at him to go. "You're losing so much blood from internal injuries and if we can't stop it, you're going to die."_

"_How can't you fix that?" Atobe asked as he leaned in more. He was having a hard time staying up, let alone listening._

_He sat down at the edge of her bed and sighed. "Well, we can give her blood transfusions, but if this goes on for too long, then there's nothing we can do."_

"_Can someone else do something?"_

"_Atobe-san, you should rest, I'll find some-"_

_Atobe stopped Kabaji with a cat like glare. He slowly turned his head back to the man he thought of like an uncle. "Is there any way to keep her… well while they find a way to fix it?"_

"_I suppose it's possible. You'll constantly be working and honestly, I think it's up to her." He glanced down at Atobe's mother, but she was fast asleep. He glanced over at Atobe and to tell him that she was probably just tired, but he was also slowing losing his touch with reality as he told Kabaji to get his laptop from his room back at home._

"_That boy is going to kill himself on day," he told Megumi and Kabaji._

_Megumi smiled and Kabaji covered up Atobe. "No, he won't. He's too strong."_

_Maybe that was why Megumi's father loved her with all his heart; she always knew what to say and who to believe in._

*

Jirou sat up and yawned. He reached for his cell phone on his nightstand and sighed when he realized it was only one in the morning. He maneuvered out of his sheet disaster and somehow made it downstairs without stubbing his toe. He saw a faint light coming from beneath the kitchen door and furrowed his brow and he cracked it open.

"Auntie, I drank one bottle. I'm fine, really," Atobe said softly into the phone. He was pacing back and forth while shaking his head at certain points. Jirou poked his head in a bit more and saw Megumi and Kabaji sitting at the dining room table.

_Great, I took all that time making sure not to wake them up and they're chatting on the phone!_

"No!" Atobe almost yelled into the phone. "I'm not drinking that much! It was one night and I had my reasons!"

Jirou could have cut through the tension with a butter knife. It was obvious something had happened. Something Atobe wasn't telling everyone else.

Atobe yelled one last time into the phone and then snapped it shut. He glared over at Megumi and Kabaji with just hatred Jirou felt it too. He shivered and took a step back when Atobe began to walk for the door. He was by the sofa when Atobe walked out. Jirou yawned and walked forward like he had just been coming down.

"Atobe?" Jirou asked in a clueless tone. "Why are you up?"

The heir sighed and glanced over his shoulder to the kitchen. As if on cue Megumi and Kabaji walked out. Jirou tried to keep pretending not to know anything, but he could pick up on Atobe's anger, Kabaji's heavy heart, and Megumi's sadness. It was tearing him up inside and he wished he could punch someone while crying because he was going to burst if he was around them any longer.

Jirou really did hate being able to pick on the little things people do that reveal their emotions. How their eyes dart left when they're lying, how they always favor one side if they're sad, how their voice drops when their angry, and how they always raised their voice when they were happy. It bugged him sometimes, and sometimes he wished he could just seclude himself in a cave, but sometimes he wished he could pick up on thoughts as well.

This was _not_ one of those times.

Jirou shifted in place and looked back at Atobe who looked like hell. It was obvious he hadn't slept because his hair was perfect. Jirou took in a deep breath and pictured himself in a meadow; Megumi, Kabaji, and Atobe were standing where they had been, but all of that negative energy was gone.

"I couldn't sleep," Jirou mumbled as a bird chirped over their heads, "so I thought I might get something to drink. Why are you up?"

"Catching up on old times," Atobe lied.

Jirou took a step forward and crushed his picture perfect meadow, releasing all of that negative energy back into the air around him. "Can I talk to you…? All of you?"

Megumi crossed her arms and yawned. "I'm dead tired. Can't this wait?"

Jirou shook his head. "No, it can't. Not anymore."

Atobe looked back at Megumi who uncrossed her arms and sighed. Kabaji nodded and Atobe pressed his lips together as he looked back at Jirou. Atobe gestured towards the sofa and chairs by the fireplace. Megumi sat in one of the two large chairs, Kabaji was occupying the other, and Jirou sat on one end of the couch with Atobe at the other.

The blonde wiggled uncomfortably against the leather, but finally found a spot that made it so he could stand up and dart upstairs in case he had to.

"What do you want to talk about?" Kabaji asked after a minute of dreadfully long silence.

Jirou took in a deep breath because part of his brain feared it would be his last. "What's wrong with your mom?"

Atobe stiffened noticeably and Jirou's super-sensitive sense caught that subtle change. Jirou stiffened as well. Megumi cursed, "Aw, hell," under her breath and Kabaji simply stood up and walked up the stairs.

"Who did you tell?" Megumi asked furiously as her hands meet the leather arms of her chair.

Jirou waved his hands to make sure Megumi knew he didn't want to start anything. "I don't even know that much. I just heard Atobe talking on the phone one night about surgery and I just-"

"Just what?" Megumi asked, raising her voice slightly. "Just wanted to know that his life is so fucked up he can barely sleep? Keigo's been through shit that I can't even explain. I thought my life was bad, then I found out this guy's father is the biggest douche alive. He-"

"Megumi!" Atobe yelled. Jirou and Megumi looked over at Atobe and suddenly realized he hadn't said a word since Jirou first spoke. Atobe pulled one of his legs up onto the sofa and tucked that knee into his chest. "Please leave, Megumi. He needs to hear this from me and you need to tell Kabaji that everything is okay."

Megumi hesitated, but nodded silently and left. Atobe turned and looked at Jirou after Megumi's footsteps faded.

"Atobe, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Jirou said like an engine as he stood up and began to walk towards the stairs. Atobe grabbed Jirou by the wrist and the blonde stop mid-step.

"You deserve to know." Atobe gently let go of Jirou's wrist and then let out a deep breath. "Do you remember when I was absent for a week two months ago?" Jirou nodded, vaguely remembering something of the sort. "I was in the hospital, and so was my mother. Actually, she's still in the hospital. I'm fine now, but she… He… My father wasn't happy with us as a family. He didn't like that I couldn't handle the work he was giving me, tennis, school work, and work from a third party at once. He couldn't do anything legal –like divorce or separation –because it would hurt his image. So he…"

Jirou could tell Atobe was struggling. His fists clenched whenever he mentioned his father, and he bit his lip as he paused. "Atobe," Jirou said softly as he kneeled next to his captain. He hadn't known Atobe was so emotionally wound up. He never showed it. He never acted like he even had emotions. Yet, this girl who he only saw maybe twice a year, knew more about Atobe than he ever had.

"So he took it out on both of us physically. She ended up getting massive bleeding, while I got away with just a few scrapes and bruises. It's not fair… She should have left and gotten away when she could've."

"God," Jirou said as he grabbed Atobe's shoulder, forcing his captain to look at him, "you blame yourself. That's why you drank."

"You know I drank?" Atobe asked barely above a whisper. "Only Kabaji, my aunt, my mother, and Megumi knew that. How did-"

"I heard you in the kitchen. I'm worried, Atobe. I'm worried you're not who I think you are, and that's scaring me to death." Jirou let go of his shoulder and rested his hands on his knees. Atobe snapped his eyes shut as he tried to force out an answer.

"I… I…" Atobe slowly opened his eyes to see Jirou looking at him like he was the second coming. "You really are one of the only people I can trust."

Jirou smiled and nodded even though he was crying on the inside. "Yeah, you can trust me."

"I do blame myself, sometimes," Atobe admitted. "I know it isn't my fault, but sometimes I can't help but think that maybe I catalyzed it."

"Catalyzed?" Jirou asked.

Atobe smiled at Jirou's innocent stupidity. "It means sped up." Jirou 'oh'ed and went silent again. "Wait, what was I saying?"

Jirou puckered his lips like he was in thought and shrugged. Atobe shook his head and laughed. Jirou laughed back. Sometimes, though he didn't know much about Atobe, he knew his captain was really just a kid like him. He did forget that sometimes, but for some reason, he didn't think he would be forgetting again anytime soon.

Jirou stood up and sat on the sofa next to Atobe. He laid his head down on his shoulder and said, "Just sleep. It helps. We'll talk later, okay?"

Atobe smiled and rested his head on top of Jirou's. "Yeah, that sounds nice." Atobe gently moved so he was lying with Jirou right in front of him. The sofa was just wide enough to fit Atobe and the blonde, but their hearts both had more than enough room for the other.

*

Megumi smirked contently, Kabaji shook his head dismissively, Marui turned his head, Kirihara squatted, and Niou mumbled, "puri~?"

"It's noon," Marui said again. He set his head back up straight and looked at Megumi. "Should we wake them up?"

Atobe's arm was draped over Jirou's chest while the blonde was drooling up a river. They had slept through breakfast, but neither Megumi nor Kabaji had the heart to wake their friend up. They figured Jirou and him must have had one hell of a chat if they ended up sleeping next to each other. Then again, they had done that the other day too.

Megumi shrugged. "Keigo will probably just go straight to work again. He deserves some peace."

Niou shrugged too, and walked into the kitchen with Marui and Kirihara right behind him. Marui glanced up at Niou who was shoving things around in the refrigerator in search of an apple. He rolled his shoulders and looked away before Niou turned around and noticed that he was staring.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I was going to make this thing like epically long, but I just gave up have way and said "SCREW IT!" and made Atobe forget what they were talking about by adding in a word I learned in biology last week :D**

**Anyways, Marui starring… Yes, I'm starting to fall in love with Marui/Niou… Not a damn clue why though. I don't really like pairings based on their appearances, it's more how their personalities clash (yes, clash, not match), and Marui/Niou does clash big time.**

**Oh, and some of you guys probably know the band Linkin Park, right? I'm in love. I swear! **

**Ah, on another small note, over 2,000 words baby!**

**And this is the reason that author's notes should be against the rules… People like me fuck them up their non-existent ass.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

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**Chapter 24**

Yukimura sighed as he set down his book. He was sitting on the top of the bunk bed that he shared with Sanada. His hair was pulled up into a ponytail, but a few strands still framed his face. He grabbed the edge of the bed and looked down at Sanada who was also reading. Yukimura always found it amusing to see Sanada without his hat even if he had a thousand times.

Yukimura pulled himself back up and crawled over to his ladder. He got down and sat on the bed in front of Sanada. "Done yet?"

Sanada glanced up and then back down. "I just finished." His voice was always monotone. Some people found it annoying, but Yukimura thought of it as just Sanada. It was those little things that made Sanada, well, Sanada.

"We should go check on Renji," Yukimura suggested. "He was supposed to come up with water awhile ago."

"He probably ran into Niou, Marui, and Akaya." Sanada sighed and reached for his signature hat that was on his nightstand.

The two Rikkaidai third years walked downstairs in silence. They used to talk all the time, but with tennis, school exams, and Yukimura needing to fill out endless amounts of paper work for the club since he was the captain, neither of them really found time to even call the other.

The two walked by an amused Megumi and a somewhat worried Kabaji, and went to ask what was wrong, but then they saw Atobe and Jirou. Yukimura smirked and Sanada furrowed his eyebrow. The two continued to walk into the kitchen.

Kirihara was sitting on the counter between Marui and Niou. Marui was giving the little second year a noogie while Niou was silently eating an apple. Yukimura smiled and asked what they were doing while Sanada made his way over to the cabinets to find some sort of granola.

Yukimura sat up on the counter next to Marui as he asked, "Any of you seen Renji?"

"Where's Yanagi-sempai?" Kirihara asked, making sure he heard Yukimura right. His captain nodded and Kirihara had to think before answering. "Wasn't he studying with that Inui guy?"

Yukimura pressed his lips together and moved his head back and forth. His ponytail hit his neck and Kirihara giggled. "That makes sense. Thanks, Akaya."

The ace smiled and nodded. "No problem, buchou."

Yukimura jumped off the counter and fixed the second year's hair before fixing his own. "No, it's 'no problem, Yukimura-san.'" Kirihara looked confused when Yukimura walked away.

"What was that about?" Kirihara asked Niou and Marui.

His sempai smirked when Sanada put a firm hand on Kirihara's shoulder and smiled. "He just told you that you're the captain now."

Kirihara couldn't have been happier when he hugged Marui. The bubble-blowing boy gently hugged back, but had to force a smile at his kohai as Niou frowned and left.

Niou knew he was being obvious about his feelings towards Marui. He always made sure no one, not even Kirihara, stood next to him in the shower room. He always "accidently" grazed by them when they were changing. Oh, and the dead giveaway was that whenever someone asked Niou to give a confession letter to Marui for them, he made sure Marui didn't get it. When Marui found out he actually thanked Niou, and the Trickster was happy. Then Marui ran to Kirihara. Then he was upset, lonely, and pissed _again._

Niou shut his bedroom door and flopped onto Marui's bed with a sigh. He was too tired to climb up the ladder to his bunk, so that pinky would just have to get over it. He sure did get over Kirihara. Marui even told him his feelings were most likely temporary and that they had ended, but Niou didn't care. Marui still hadn't liked him and that meant he probably wouldn't any time soon.

"Niou-kun?" Yagyuu asked as he set down his book. He was sitting on the bottom of bunk (his bed) that him and Jackal shared.

Niou rolled onto his side and propped his head into his palm. "Oh, hey, Yagyuu."

"Why are you here and not outside playing billiards with Shishido? You always complain how you never get to play enough."

Niou shrugged. "Not in the mood."

"Marui problems?"

Niou never told Yagyuu about his feelings for Marui, the bastard just figured it out himself. That, or Yukimura told him because they were partners. Niou didn't particularly care about the details; he just cared how Yagyuu acted like he could write a book on his life. Sure, they were friends, but him and Marui were still better friends.

"Yagyuu," Niou said sternly as he sat up, "why are you so interested in my life?"

"We're partners," Yagyuu told him for the thousandth time.

Niou rolled his eyes and snorted. "So? Jackal doesn't tell Marui everything and Marui doesn't even tell Jackal squat."

Yagyuu sighed. "Yes, that's true, but we're not them."

"Yeah, but I'm me. I'm a loner and fucking hate doubles with a passion, but I can't do a damn thing about it!" Niou practically screamed he stood up. He did scream when he hit his head on Marui's bed. Niou glared at the wood and then punched it. "Screw Marui! _Screw the world_!"

Niou stormed downstairs, ignoring Yagyuu's calls. Yukimura, Marui, Kirihara, Sanada walked out of the kitchen. Niou flipped off Yukimura, brushed right past Marui and Kirihara, and ignored Sanada just to get outside. He ran his fingers through his hair and pulled out his pony tail. He looked at the open grass in front of him and then the line of trees.

He just ran.

He knew he was running away and that made him a coward, but he didn't care. He didn't run away when his family fell apart at the seams after his mother's death, he didn't run away when Yukimura threatened to kick him off the team, and he didn't run away while he watched Marui be the oblivious ass he is.

The trees began to blur, but not because he was running fast, but because tears were crashing down around him. Tears didn't fall for Niou, they crashed onto him like a meteor from space.

*

Yukimura watched Niou run away from everything. He sighed and turned around to see Marui trying to keep Kirihara from sprinting outside. He was failing miserably.

"What's with all the yelling?" Jirou asked as he covered his mouth to stiffen a yawn.

Yukimura turned to the sofa and saw Atobe and Jirou sitting there. "When'd you wake up?"

"We woke up just in time to see Niou completely lose it," Atobe mumbled as he rubbed his head. He stood up and stretched like a feline of the night. "We should go get him."

Marui nodded. "Yeah, we should."

* * *

**A/N: GRRR!! There are two more chapters after this. The next one is around 3,000 words like the first few chapters were and the one after that is around 17 pages on Microsoft word so it's one hell of a finale (8,000 words last time I checked... I keep adding more).**

**I know this chapter was short, but it was either make this chapter short or the next one short. This one suffered.**

**Anyways, yeah, I basically just repeated myself there. Um, there are two more chapters of this so on Friday or Saturday it should be done because everything is actually written out.  
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	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own PoT in any way and I am by no means profiting from writing this besides my own personal entertainment.**

**Note: I could not write this as one big piece. I wrote this as little bitty pieces and then stuck them together so it might seem a little jumpy. I know I promised this to be long, but I could barely manage to write this damn thing so **_**too bad**_**! It is fairly long compared to the short chapters I have been posting, though…**

**Note II: Marui has a dream in this one. It's of his "past" that I totally bull shitted. I made his parents divorced, Marui and Niou like best friends since they were basically two, and they're nine in the dream… It just makes more sense if you know that.**

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**Chapter 25**

Yukimura spent no time in making search teams. Marui, Kirihara, and basically the rest of Rikkaidai were to go into the forest. Seigaku was scanning the perimeter of the cabin, while Hyotei went down to the lake. Yukimura didn't want to find Niou, he wanted him to come back on his own, but he did need to make sure he was safe because Niou, believe it or not, was part of his family. Part of Rikkaidai.

Yukimura was leading his teammates through the twisted dirt paths of the forest with Sanada in the rear. Yanagi and Yagyuu were trying to reassure Kirihara that it wasn't his fault because they honestly didn't think it was, or why it would be. Marui looked left and right as he frantically shouted Niou's name.

"Marui," Jackal said calmly as he put a firm hand on his partner's shoulder, "we'll find him."

Marui tugged his shoulder away to catch up with Yukimura who was climbing a small hill a far distance in front of them. "I know we will, Jackal. I just hope we find him unharmed."

Kirihara furrowed his brow and looked up at Yanagi. "Why is Marui-sempai acting so weird lately? Is he nervous about graduation?"

Yanagi smiled. "That among other things."

To say Yanagi knew would be an understatement. He had figured it out a long time ago. Hell, half the team had. The only people who didn't seem to realize that Marui had feelings for Niou were Niou himself and Kirihara. Yanagi was waiting to interfere because he figured the two would just work it out before the end of the year. But, the end was drawling near, and Yanagi was beginning to wonder if their feelings even went past appearances.

Kirihara tightened one corner of his mouth and then it fell back into his other half's frown. "I don't want you guys to graduate. I mean, I know you'll visit, but I just… It'll just fell wrong."

Yanagi smiled again and rubbed Kirihara's hair. "You've grown up; you'll make a good captain." Kirihara smiled and thanked 'Yanagi-sempai.' "Now, let's find Niou so he can tell you otherwise."

Kirihara laughed. "Yeah, let's do that!"

The boys began to walk again. Somewhere along the way they found a fork in the roar and had to split their group apart. Marui, Yukimura, Yagyuu, and Kirihara went left while Sanada, Yanagi, and Jackal went right. Yukimura said to just work their way up to the top of the hill. They nodded and went their separate ways.

Yukimura still lead his group. Marui was right behind him and Yagyuu was keeping Kirihara calm whenever something moved into the shadows. They made it to the top of the hill a little quicker than the other group and figured they might as well just sit and wait.

The trees around them cast shadows onto the little sun that peeked through the trees' canopies. Yagyuu, Yukimura, and Kirihara were sitting at the base of a tree while Marui picked some raspberries off a bush. He heard something and looked behind the bush and let his eyes go wide.

"Ni-"

"Shut up, Pinky," Niou hissed as he snapped his head up. Marui almost gasped when he saw his best friend's face. His eyes were puffy and red, his cheeks were stained, and he had splotches of dirt everywhere.

"Yukimura, are you here yet?"

"We're right here!" Kirihara yelled over his shoulder as he went back to picking the grass underneath him.

Marui walked over to the other three, but kept that bush in sight. A second later Sanada, Jackal, and Yanagi walked out from behind some trees.

"Any luck?" Yukimura asked.

Sanada shook his head grimly, and then the bushes rustled. He stiffened and straightened his shoulders. "Is that a bear?"

Marui shook his head. "There are no bears here, Sanada. It was a squirrel," Marui responded quickly.

"A squirrel?" Sanada asked, not believing (not wanting to believe) that he was scared crapless because of a little squirrel.

Yukimura glanced over at the bush and caught site of something white. Yukimura looked back at Sanada and giggled. "It's a squirrel." Sanada had just lost all dignity he ever had. "Let's get back, before Sanada loses it again," Yukimura teased. The regulars laughed at first, but then realize that Yukimura was serious.

"Buchou," Yagyuu began, "Niou-kun is out here. We need to find him."

Yukimura glanced down at Marui and then back at them. "He'll be back. Besides, Atobe or Tezuka might have seen him already. Right, Marui?"

The red head nodded and began to walk back to the camp. "Yeah, let's go."

When they all got back down to the cabin, the other boys told them that they had the same luck.

Marui didn't even mentioning seeing Niou, let alone seeing him cry. They had been friends since they were four, when they lived on pizza forts and mountain dew, and whenever either of them cried, they would keep it a secret and laugh at the other _in secret_. It was funny to them; two bad guys breaking down into tears like girls.

Marui crashed onto his bed and grabbed his pillow. He dug his head so far into it he could barely breathe. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be having fun. He was lying about his feelings for Kirihara, Niou was crying, and Marui was one second away from losing it.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Nothing _should_ be like this.

*

_Marui ran up the stairs from his kitchen and closed his door behind him. He crashed onto the bed and reached for his ipod. That was always what Marui did after school: come on, go to the bathroom, get something to eat, and lock himself in his room. He had done that since his dad left._

"_We're going to see dad, do you want to come?" his brother asked as he knocked on his locked door. _

_Marui pulled out his headphones and yelled, "No thanks!" to the wood. His brother mumbled something about being able to order pizza, but Marui didn't really care._

_After awhile the footsteps of his siblings and mom faded as his music took over. About an hour after his family had left, he heard something 'click' against his window. He smiled, pulled out his headphones, switched off his ipod, and walked over to the window. The cold air moved his hair as it entered the room, but it didn't move his smile. _

"_Come on up!" Marui called down to Niou who was fiddling with five tiny pebbles in his hands. The trickster walked up to the side of the house and worked his way up the lattice that stopped right under Marui's window._

_Marui grabbed Niou's wrist to help him up the last few feet. When the trickster was in his room, the two sat on different ends on Marui's bed. _

"_Did you hear?" Niou asked with obvious excitement. "Yumi was kissing Watanabe."_

_Marui let his jaw drop. "No way."_

_Niou nodded. "Yup. Yagyuu-stiff-pants said it was no big deal, but it totally is. She's such a," Niou looked around like he was going to do something bad and then softly said, "slut."_

_Niou actually didn't curse that much when he was younger. He started using worse, more obscene words when he started playing tennis. He claims to have learned them from his sempai. So, whenever he did "curse" it was always amusing._

"_I wonder what it was like," Marui mused after a minute of soft giggling. _

_Niou wrinkled his nose. "All the girls are dumb. It probably stunk."_

_Marui tightened on corner of his mouth into a half smile. "I don't mean with girls, I mean… kissing."_

_Niougot on his knees and crawled over to Marui's end of the bed. He gently placed a soft, awkward kiss on the corner of Marui's mouth before crawling back over to his spot._

"_Nothing great," Marui said with a sigh._

_Niou nodded. "Yup… Looks like Watanabe did all that gross work for nothing."_

*

Marui sat up and looked around. Okay, why did he have to remember that? That was just another thing Niou had taken from him. Niou had taken his virginity (and that hurt like a bitch!), his first kiss, and now his sanity. Great, just great!

Marui stayed in his room until dinner because everyone else as busy looking for Marui. They all missed lunch, but most of them grabbed something to snack on until dinner. The sun was just starting to set and Niou hadn't even called. He had his phone because he would pick up and then hang up.

Marui was worried beyond belief when Jackal told him Yukimura called a meeting for their team. Marui got down the stairs and saw Jirou going into the kitchen. The blonde said something to the rest of Hyotei who was waiting for him, and walked up to his idol.

"How are you dealing?" Jirou asked quickly. He knew that Yukimura had called a meeting for Rikkaidai, but he just needed to make sure Marui was okay.

Marui nodded unsurely. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks, Jirou."

Jirou smiled, mumbled "no problem" and went back into the kitchen. He sat down at the table next to Mukahi and Hiyoshi. Megumi and Kabaji were sitting right across from him and he felt oddly nervous when Atobe sat next to Megumi.

The chef had refrigerated the lunch and Atobe said they might as well eat it. Tezuka said his team and he were just going to do one last check around the cabin before joining them.

Jirou didn't really seem to pay attention to the food that he absent mindedly moved into his mouth. He was too busy staring at Atobe. Atobe was just like Jirou; he wasn't paying any attention to the food or Megumi's I-so-know-what's-going-on glances.

"I need to work," Atobe said after Shishido finished making some joke that wasn't really all that funny to anyone besides him and Ohtori.

"Oh," Megumi said before Atobe could leave. "I'm leaving tonight at ten. A car is coming, just thought I should let you know."

Atobe nodded. "Okay, then." He closed the door behind him and quickly walked by Rikkaidai, not wanting to interrupt their private meeting. He sat on his bed and opened up his laptop. He logged onto his email and sifted through the junk and what he wished was junk.

---

_Atobe, when you return from camp the day after tomorrow, have a speech prepared to give to the club members who were not there to witness your outrageous actions with Oshitari. On that note, Oshitari has been suspended from the club, but will be able to return if I allow him to do so._

_-Sakaki_

_PS: You never sent me the club's budget for the graduation party. It needs to be completed by the fifth and I am still unable to work on it._

---

"Still unable to do so my ass…" Atobe mumbled as he slammed his laptop shut. He knew (in a way) that he was Sakaki's bitch (lack of better words). All he did was work for him, and if something went wrong it was always his fault, even if it wasn't.

Atobe pulled off his shirt and walked across the hall into the bathroom. He turned on the water and stuck only his head in. A second later he pulled his head back out and turned the water off. He put his shirt back on and then quickly ran a towel through his hair for a minute or two. Just as he finished drying it off, someone knocked on the door.

"It's not locked," Atobe said as he tossed the towel into the hamper in the corner.

Fuji opened up the door and barely managed to say, "Niou's back," because he was winded. Fuji ran back down the stairs with Atobe right behind him. Rikkaidai was already yelling at Niou, and calling him stupid for running off like that. Seigaku was outside, but they could have come in. Why didn't they…?

Niou kept his head low. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Sorry?" Sanada yelled. "You had Yukimura and Akaya worried sick!" Niou smirked because he knew that was Sanada's way of saying that he was worried sick.

"Listen, I would have come in earlier, but…" Niou trailed off and turned around. He opened the door to the back and told everyone to follow him. Sanada was the last one out and barely managed to close the door behind him because of what he saw in front of him.

It was amazing. The specks of yellow disappeared around them and would reappear like lightning somewhere else. It was like it was snowing stars.

Atobe reached his hand out and caught a firefly in his hand and smiled. He head the door click and turned back to see his own team standing there. They sprinted out and danced under the orange sky as they caught the lightning bugs in their hands.

It wasn't even firefly season, which was in the summer. It was simply amazing.

Atobe sat down and watched contently (he never found catching bugs amusing). A second later Jirou sat down next to Atobe in the grass and watched everyone else run around catching fireflies like a bunch of little kids. Jirou hadn't done that since he was six years old, but he didn't want to for some reason. All he wanted to do was sit next to Atobe.

They hadn't talked like they said they would that one night. Jirou didn't want Atobe to feel like he needed to talk to him about his problems. He wanted Atobe to trust him enough to want to talk to him about his worries. Jirou didn't care when that was because he knew Atobe would one day, even if it wasn't any time soon.

Jirou looked around nervously and then screamed at the top of his lungs when Megumi grabbed his shoulder. He turned around and looked at her like she was insane. "Thanks for the heart attack!" he yelled sarcastically.

Atobe smiled when Megumi said, "You're welcome."

"What do you want?" Jirou asked coldly as Megumi sat next to him.

The brunette looked over at Yukimura's general direction. "He wanted to talk to you, Keigo."

Atobe sighed and looked between his two friends before getting up and leaving to talk to Yukimura. Once Atobe was out of ear shot, Megumi turned to Jirou and quickly said, "He really does love you."

Jirou blinked and moved a little farther away from her. "Who?"

"Keigo. He loves you so much it makes me want to gag." Megumi opened her mouth and pointed down her throat to emphasize her point.

"No he doesn't," Jirou said disappointedly.

Megumi sighed and grabbed Jirou's shoulder, forcing the boy to look at her. "Listen, I don't care if you think he does or not, but trust me when I say this: Live life with no regrets because in ten years you'll want to look back and laugh, not cry."

"Okay," Jirou began slowly, "I still think you're crazy, but you give good advice."

"I know," she said with a proud smile.

Jirou sighed and that made her smile run like the wind. "But I can't tell him that I like him."

Megumi furrowed her eyebrow. "Why not?"

Jirou opened his mouth to explain how him telling Atobe would just ruin everything and leave both of them in pain, but Atobe walked over before he could.

"Yukimura didn't want to talk to me."

Megumi shrugged and stood up. "Opps. My bad." She smiled at the two and then waved as she ran over to Shishido and Ohtori. Jirou didn't even want to know what she was going to tell those two.

Atobe sat back down and leaned back on his hands. "Why don't you go catch some fireflies with Marui and Fuji, Jirou?"

Jirou shrugged and moved a little closer to Atobe. "I'd rather sit here," he said truthfully.

"I'll go with you," Atobe offered as he stood up. He held his hand out to Jirou and the blonde gladly took it. The two walked down to the shore of the lake together and smiled as dozens of little yellow lights illuminated the air around them.

*

All of the boys (and one girl) got back to the cabin around ten. Atobe told Kabaji to get Megumi's clothes from the other day. She quickly said good-bye to everyone as they went upstairs to get some sleep. She took the bag from Kabaji when he came back down.

"Munihero, are you ever going to stop acting so stiff and brainless?" Megumi asked jokingly as she hugged the taller boy good-bye.

Kabaji smiled and wrapped his arms around her. They looked like a giant and a dwarf. "Are you ever going to stop acting so recklessly?"

"Nope." She smiled and laughed as he pulled away.

Kabaji shook his head as he smiled. "Call me when you get back home." Megumi nodded and yelled one last good-bye as Kabaji went upstairs.

Atobe opened the front door to the cabin for Megumi. He closed it behind them as they silently walked towards the car that had arrived for his friend.

"Jirou loves you, Keigo," Megumi said as she changed her grip on the bag, finally breaking the silence.

Atobe huffed and crossed his arms. "You're lying."

"This world is full of lies. Our job isn't to live, it's to find out who's telling the truth so we can get through this nightmare with a smile. I'm not lying. So, now the question is, do you want to go through life smiling?"

"I'm not worried about smiling through life; I'm worried about getting through it. Period."

Megumi sighed and looked over at the car that was no more than ten feet away from them. "Whatever. But, just promise me that you'll call me more, it'll make me feel better."

Atobe nodded. "I promise."

She smiled and quickly hugged him good-bye. "You really did grow up," she said into his shoulder before letting go.

"You really didn't."

She rolled her eyes and got into the backseat of the car. She smiled, waved, and yelled, "Love ya!" out the window as she drove away.

Atobe turned around to get back inside and wondered if he would tell Jirou tomorrow, the last day of camp.

* * *

**A/N: Though I made Megumi a crazy party girl, I made her sort of wise. So, the next chapter is the big finale! Niou/Marui, slight Hiyoshi/Mukahi, Sanada/Yukimura if you want to see it that way, and Atobe/Jirou await you in the last chapter!**

**Okay, so I was writing the whole Marui sees Niou crying thing and I wrote "when they lived on pizza forts and mountain dew" and I was like… That's a cool title! "Pizza Forts and Mountain Dew" I really want to write a Niou/Marui story even though I put a bit of them in my Marui/Akaya story. God, I make Marui a slutty manwhore sometimes. He needs to make up his goddamn mind! Anywho, I'm probably going to write a Niou/Marui story called "Pizza Forts and Mountain Dew" now.**

**Yes, that was random and was really what went through my mind. **

**You'll be surprised what titles I think of while writing.**


	27. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer, I do not own Prince of Tennis in anyway nor am I profiting from writing this besides personal enjoyment and writing practice. I do not own the song "You and Me" by Lifehouse.**

_**Note: READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM WHEN FINISHED READING!!!!!**_

**Note II: I do a lot of rambling on things you already know because since Megumi told Jirou that Atobe liked him he sort of changed what he was thinking about.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 26**

Jirou woke up and slumped into the shower. He was the first one up, probably because he was the first to go to bed. The hot water didn't seem to detour the thoughts racing in his mind. Atobe was with Oshitari again (even though they aren't anymore (for a second time)), Mukahi is heartbroken, and he still hadn't told Atobe what he promised himself he would. Oh, and apparently Atobe likes him too. But he's just too oblivious to realize it. GREAT!

He didn't mean for this to happen, all he wanted to do was spend time with his friends before they were separated between high schools. He joined the team to have friends, and everything is just driving those friends apart.

_When did everyone change? _

He slumped downstairs, not even bothering to dry his hair, the drops of water felt good as he sat on the sofa. He ran his fingers through his hair and heard the now common battle over the shower begin. He smirked to himself as he listened to Niou and Marui fight, and then tried not to think about Atobe.

Jirou still couldn't get over the fact that he was thinking about Atobe. Sure, he had always thought about him in some respect, but never like he was now. The only thing on his mind was how his heart skipped a beat every time he walked in the room, how Atobe's mouth twitched into a smile when he tickled his feet to wake him up, or how he was so dedicated. He wanted Atobe to be dedicated to him, but he was sure that that was never going to happen, not in this lifetime.

"Jirou?"

He glanced up and saw the boy who makes his stomach curl into a knot. He smiled softly and said, "I couldn't get back to sleep so I got a shower and came down here."

"That's not like you," Atobe said as if he was worried. That made Jirou happy, but it also made his heart ache in a way; Atobe had looked after him for tennis, and was probably looking after him until he graduated. Yeah, that had to be it. Megumi couldn't be right even if he hoped she was.

Jirou gave another smile. "I'm fine, really."

Atobe waited a second and nodded before leaving to talk to the chef about the meals for the rest of the trip.

*

_What day is it? And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive  
I can't keep up and I can't back down  
I've been losing so much time_

*

Breakfast had turned from fighting and bickering, to laughing and reminiscing. This always happened at the camps their coaches sent them on, but it never lasted. Things happen, people fade away, and things change. Everyone knew that, but only a few chose to acknowledge it.

After everyone finished laughing and eating Atobe told them that they were going for a hike in the forest. A few people didn't really want to go for a walk, but apparently everyone had to because they were going to have a bonfire up in the mountains. They would sleep in tents and then get on the bus first thing in the morning so they were told to only bring a backpack; everything else would be backed onto the bus.

Jirou didn't know what to pack. It was just a one night trip, right? So just clothes he figured as they began to pack. Then he thought about bugs and pushed in a can of bug spray. But what about a sleeping bag? Tents? Water? _Toilet paper?_

"Ah, Atobe." Jirou had to force himself not to blurt out what was running through his head,_ I love you._

He glanced up from his bed where he was sitting with his laptop. He scanned Jirou's bed and saw a variety of things and noticed his bag was almost overflowing. "Yukimura is in charge of first aid and toiletries, Tezuka is taking care of food and water, while I am in charge of tents."

"How do you expect us to carry tents all the way up the mountain?" Jirou asked skeptically. No way would he be pushing himself that hard, he would never make it back down.

"I'm carrying them, they aren't too heavy," Kabaji said modestly. Jirou almost let his jaw hit the floor.

The boys finished packing and head downstairs to meet with everyone else. Atobe, Tezuka, and Yukimura went over a checklist and a roll call before departing.

The second they stepped outside Jirou wanted to groan; it was so hot and so humid. He was wearing khakis, like most of them were, and a t-shirt. The blonde envied Yagyuu, Yanagi, and Inui who had hats with those little nets in front of their eyes. He had a feeling that he would be eating a lot of bugs by mistake if he talked.

The forest was thicker than Jirou remembered. He passed by the spot he where he stood and watched the lake after he walked in on Atobe changing, he blushed at the memory of his captain standing there like a girl trying to cover himself up.

He shook his head and kept walking. _ Stop worrying, just act. _He looked at Atobe. _Maybe I'll worry a little more…_

*

_Cause it's you and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

*

"You love Atobe, Jirou." Mukahi's voice was firm as he stated what he believed to be the truth. Mukahi grabbed Jirou's shoulder, pulling him to a sudden stop. "You always talk about him and whenever he's down you run up to him screaming his name."

Jirou thought about it for a second. He did promise himself that he would tell Atobe how he felt and it was the last day of camp, but he never said anything about telling Mukahi or anyone else. "Yeah, so? I do that to you, too, and I don't want to spend any more time with you than I have to."

Mukahi shrugged. "Whatever, you like him."

"You're insane. I don't like Atobe."

_Lie._

"Am I?" Mukahi asked. Based on what had happened to him the past couple of days with Oshitari and Atobe, Jirou had good reason to believe he might be slightly insane at this point. "But I'm being serious here. Don't you just… I don't know… like him?"

Jirou shook his head. "Not really. I mean, he's my captain, my old friend, and that's about where I draw the line. Besides, I'm not gay."

_Lie. Sorta… Not gay, just in love with one guy. I still like vaginas and breasts (I think)._

Mukahi sighed and put his hands on his hips in a drama-queen fashion. "You're so dense sometimes, Jirou. I bet he likes you, too."

Jirou was so excited he could barely think about what to say. He had just accepted that Megumi was insane, he did not want to re-think that decision if Mukahi thought so too.

"And why would you say that?"

The two slowly began to walk again as they continued to talk. "I see the way he looks at you!"

"Ahem."

The two turned to see the rest of the boys behind them. Some of them were whispering, but Atobe (who was luckily standing within hearing distance) was coughing.

Mukahi smirked and turned from Jirou to Atobe. "And you thought I didn't notice how you looked at him in the shower room!"

Just as Atobe opened his mouth to speak Jirou poked his head between the two and looked up at Atobe. "Just how do you look at me?" Jirou wanted to squeal like one of those annoying fangirls.

"With lust!" Niou teased from the back of the crowd. There was a faint, muffled cry as Yagyuu stepped on his partner's foot.

"If your little chat is over, could you keep walking? We have a long ways to go before we reach the top of the mountain." Atobe was trying so hard not to blush or hesitate because everyone was looking at them now and he was afraid that Inui or Yanagi would figure it out. Or worse, _both_ could figure it out.

Jirou nodded and grabbed Atobe's arm as they began to walk. Atobe's arm was firm and muscular from hours of smash practice. "See, Atobe knows I don't look at him any differently than everyone else! Right?" Jirou gripped the bicep of his captain's arm so hard Atobe had to pry his arms off. Jirou never wanted to let go, ever.

"I've never seen Jirou look at me any differently than he does someone else."

Atobe didn't add the "but I wish you did" that was caught in the back of his throat.

"And you don't like me right?"

_Please say yes! For the love of the tennis God say yes!_

"Right, I don't like you," Atobe lied. He saw Jirou's disappointed face and quickly realized that "like" was a very vague term. "No, I mean in a… sexual, intimate way. We're still friends."

Jirou nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, friends, just friends…"

Marui rolled his eyes from the back and yelled, "Hey, can we get this show on the road? Hurry up!"

"Please do!" Jackal echoed.

Atobe looked at a skeptical Mukahi and a suddenly depressed Jirou and gestured for them to turn around and keep walking. Atobe couldn't tell him, he didn't have time to spare, he would only end up hurting him just like he did Oshitari. It was better like this, or that's what he told himself.

Besides, Megumi was a nut job, no way she could be right.

*

_All of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right  
I'm tripping on words  
You've got my head spinning  
I don't know where to go from here_

*

"It should be right up here," Atobe told the boys. They ran ahead of Atobe and out of the trees, onto an open grass field. The grass was short, though, and it seemed weird how such a small place was in a perfect circle. There was a small stone circle in the middle and an outhouse just at the edge of the trees

Kabaji set down the tents; Tezuka and Yukimura wasted no time in telling the boys how to set them up. It took an hour to set up the tents, but somehow some of them were more askew than others, one in particular; Marui's, Niou's, Jirou's, Kirihara's, and Jackal's.

"Remind me again why I'm the only one who isn't a part of Rikkaidai sleeping in this tent," Jirou mumbled to Marui as they looked at their masterpiece. The sides were dropping and they had to borrow Yagyuu's extra pole just to keep it standing. It would work, though, besides, it's not like they were going to sleep through a hurricane or anything, it was just one night.

Marui smirked and reached around to grab Jirou's opposite shoulder. "Atobe will rape you."

Niou nodded and waved his finger in front of Jirou's face the second Marui started to talk. "Yeah, he's so obsessed with you it's scary."

Jirou rolled his eyes. "He isn't obsessed with me."

Marui smirked and let go of his shoulder and used Niou's as an arm rest as he crossed his legs. "Sure, sure, and I'm the King of Brazil."

Kirihara popped out of the tent with Jackal and smiled. "They have that now?"

Marui turned around and darted after Kirihara who was already running away. Niou waited for Jackal to run after his sweet toothed doubles partner before turning and giving Jirou a sympathetic smile. "Sorry, teasing's my thing."

Jirou shrugged and let out a small sigh. "It's okay; I know he really doesn't like me so it's all good."

"Maybe he does like you," Niou pondered as he picked up his bag and tossed it into the tent. Jirou handed him his bag and Niou zippered it back up.

"I wish he did." Jirou's eyes wondered over to where Shishido, Ohtori, Hiyoshi, Kabaji, and Atobe were. Atobe looked over at Jirou then smiled at him before turning and asking Ohtori something. Jirou blushed like mad and turned back to Niou. "Don't say a word."

Niou pulled an imaginary zipper across his mouth and locked the fake key. "I'm a trickster, not a bastard. Really, why does everyone think I'm so coldhearted?"

Jirou had never thought about it, but he never did feel at ease around Niou, even at the other bonding camps.

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe because you keep everything besides your remarks to yourself?"

Niou sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm not good with feelings and crap. I lost my mom two years ago and ever since that I just haven't been able to trust anyone I guess."

"Uh… You don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

It was Niou's turn to shrug. "I don't mind, I trust you for some reason."

Jirou didn't know what to say. Niou trusted him? Him?! They weren't all that good of friends and Jirou hadn't told him anything in return – you say something personal, someone says something back.

"If you're wondering why, it's the same reason I trust Yukimura."

"And just what is that reason?"

Niou hesitated. "You're hiding something, too, so you would know what it's like to have a friendship ruined because of screwed up hormones and false feelings."

Niou walked off and ran up to Yagyuu who was by Sanada, Yukimura, and Yanagi. Jirou didn't know what to say, what to think. What did that mean? So now he was like Yukimura, a person people look up to a trust, but someone whose been keeping a secret so long it feels like it'll explode out of their mouth whenever they speak? Because that's how Jirou felt all the time whenever he was around Atobe.

*

"Ah, Akaya, Jackal, Marui, there you are!" Yukimura said enthusiastically. All of Rikkaidai was gathered together for the first time in awhile. Yukimura was going on about how they needed to train the first and second years when they go back.

Marui slipped out of Yukimura's boring conversation to make a quick bathroom break. He was happy that no one noticed, he just wished that he could do it again and hopefully do it at practice once they got back. He zipped the front of his pants back up and turned to head back to camp when he came face to face with Niou.

He grabbed his heart dramatically to keep himself from jumping out of his skin. "Geez, stalkerish much?"

Niou just shrugged and turned to walk back to camp with Marui. Turns out he had walked farther than he needed and Yukimura sent Niou to see if he was okay or in need to toilet paper.

Marui sighed. "Aw, man."

Niou smirked and laced his fingers behind his head. "Did you actually think he didn't see you tip toeing out of there like those spies do in those crappy movies?"

Marui punched him jokingly as they laughed together. The two grew silent again as they continued to walk through the forest. Then, almost out of nowhere, Niou said, "Thanks for not telling anyone."

Marui raised an eyebrow. "Telling who what?"

Niou smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Really, thanks."

Niou never thanked anyone and Marui knew that. He felt special. He felt like Niou trusted him more than before. That thought made Marui blush. "No problem," he mumbled.

Niou laughed. "God, you're too cute when you blush."

Marui stopped walking and looked up at Niou, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground. He _really_ didn't mean for that to come out. Marui just looked at him with a blank expression, hoping Niou would fill in the words that didn't escape his open mouth. He didn't.

"Me? Cute? Are you fucked up?"

Niou shook his head. "No…"

"Drunk?"

"No."

"High?"

"Nope."

"Hung over?"

Niou finally had enough and just threw his hands into the air. "Geez, maybe I just think you're cute because I like you. Did that come into your mind even once? Do I have to be drunk?"

"You were drunk the first time!" Marui shot back, slightly flustered.

Niou rolled his eyes and walked up to Marui, but he only backed away. A second later Marui gasped when his back hit a tree. "I don't do things I don't want to even if I'm drunk, you know that."

"Then why didn't you do it when you weren't drunk?"

Niou had given up the battle of words and figured actions would mean something more. He took another step forward and titled his head as he leaned in.

*

Niou walked back to the camp with a heavy heart. Why, why did Marui not say anything? Niou figured he would at least tell him to get the hell away or something like that, but he only looked at the ground. Niou apologized to Sanada who was one second away from having a heart attack because neither of the boys had returned.

"Where's Marui?" he demanded to know.

Niou pointed behind him and then realized that Marui wasn't following him. His arm fell slightly along with his jaw, but then a second later Yukimura cut in and saved him.

"Look, he's coming out! See, Sanada, I told you he wasn't eaten by a bear."

Some of the other Rikkaidai regulars snickered, but Niou didn't get it, he must've missed something.

Niou looked up and Marui was coming back to their little circle. The Trickster was ready to jolt out of there when Marui brushed by him, but he didn't seem to need to. When Marui got back to their group he smiled, apologized for taking so long, and nudged Niou before lacing his fingers with his. Niou looked down at their hands and then blinked.

Marui winked. "I thought it was another dream."

Niou smiled when Marui said "another" because that meant he wasn't out of his mind when he thought Marui was looking at him. Part of his mind had told him that the whole Akaya thing was just to make him jealous because he didn't want to tell him and Niou knew Marui long enough to know that when he likes someone he usually tells them or shows them. Niou slapped his mind mentally, he didn't really care now.

Jirou looked at Niou and gave a doubles thumbs up and Niou gave a small nod back. Jirou looked over at Atobe and their eyes meet for just second, but Jirou wanted to freeze in that moment. He looked away and when he looked back up Atobe wasn't looking anymore.

Atobe turned back to Kabaji and tried to remember what he was talking about. Something about something for the club? Or was it for his father's company? Or maybe… He shook his head and apologized to Kabaji. The taller boy understood and told Atobe that they should get some air. Atobe thought that was a good idea and the two walked into the forest.

The smells of the woods didn't really seem to calm Atobe, but nothing seemed to calm his mind anymore. The trees were tall and reminded him that time moves on, but that only made him feel worse. It made him feel like he was just doing nothing and letting his life pass him by.

Atobe glanced up at Kabaji who was looking at him as if he was waiting for an answer.

"What did you ask?" Atobe asked as he rubbed his temples.

Kabaji sighed and looked ahead. "What's bothering you, Atobe-san?"

Atobe knew he could trust Kabaji, but he didn't know how to tell his oldest and dearest friend that he really believed that he was going insane.

"Atobe-san?"

"Kabaji… I think… I think I love Jirou."

Kabaji stopped walking and blinked. Atobe looked at him with a face that almost made him looked ashamed. Kabaji smiled and just kept walking. "I wondered when you would realize that."

Atobe almost let his eye twitch. "Why does everyone seem to know myself better than me?"

"A lot of people care about you now; it isn't like it used to be."

Atobe remembered how it used to be. How he could be surrounded by people and still feel so alone. He used to be so obsessed with having more and more people around him, hoping that one would understand him like Kabaji had so that maybe, just maybe, he could have one more person to talk to. No one understood him; no one really even cared about him. He could be surrounded by the whole school and they would be so busy agreeing with him that they didn't even hear what he said. It was different now. He had a team, people he could trust.

They got back to camp and Atobe glanced over at Jirou who was talking to Mukahi and Hiyoshi about something. He smiled to himself and let his eyes linger before looking away only to think about him.

"So you're really over Oshitari?" Jirou asked Mukahi again.

The acrobat nodded. "Once you guys told me what love was" – he glanced over at Hiyoshi and let a big smile claim his face –"I figured that what I liked Yu—Oshitari for was purely physical and slightly jealous dash revenge."

Mukahi felt odd saying "Oshitari" and not "Yuushi." It was the first time he'd said it since his first year and it just felt wrong.

But then Hiyoshi smiled. Actually, everything seemed to feel right. "That's good, sempai. After all, you looked weird when you weren't smiling."

Mukahi glanced back to the second year and let his smile fall. "Are you flirting with me?"

Hiyoshi smirked. "Maybe."

Jirou blinked between the two awkwardly and just decided to slip away to find something to do. He really did not want to see Hiyoshi flirt with his best friend then turn him down because he didn't want to be the rebound guy. Hiyoshi is just weird like that, Jirou decided after watching Mukahi kick Hiyoshi in the shin.

Jirou caught site of Atobe and Kabaji and then looked down at the grass beneath his feet. Really, why would a guy –especially Hiyoshi of all people – flirt with someone if they had no intention of being with them? People do things even if those actions didn't match their true feelings.

Hiyoshi's not weird like that. No, he's not weird at all…

Love's weird like that.

That's what he decided on.

*

_Cause it's you and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to prove  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

*

The boys gathered around the campfire's soft glow to warm up before heading to bed. They spent half of their day just hiking up so naturally none of them wanted to do anything but eat and sleep. Tezuka, Yukimura, and Atobe had forced them to at least roast marshmallows around the fire, though.

"Does anyone know any good ghost stories?" Kirihara asked as he blew out his flaming marshmallow. When the fire stopped he bite into it and wrinkled his nose. Then he stuck it back in the fire.

Marui told Niou to do that story he came up with last year in chemistry instead of taking a pop quiz. Some of the boys listened to the Trickster's story, but Atobe didn't. The Hyotei captain excused himself and Jirou watched him walk into his tent. A second later Kabaji got up and joined Atobe in the tent.

"And then," Niou continued, "they heard a scream that made men want to die just to escape its shrill sound. But, no men heard it. The crash of the thunder in the sky was too loud."

Jirou looked at the boys and noticed a couple were honestly afraid, but most of them were faking it from what he could tell. He overheard Shishido snickering about how Atobe was about to wet his pants and that's why he went into their tent. Ohtori scolded him and Jirou smiled, everyone on Hyotei knew it wouldn't be fun without those little moments.

Jirou stood up, saying something about going to the bathroom, and walked over into the forest. It was dark and Jirou could barely see as he tried to hopelessly navigate through the dark forest. He reached out for the tree trunks and when he could just barely see the campfire he figured that he was far enough away. He quickly did his business and zipped the front of his pants back up before turning around to look for the fire.

He saw it flicker behind some trees and began to walk, slowly making his way back. He walked for a bit and then he didn't see the fire anymore. He looked again and it had moved to his left. Then he realized it was yellow. He slowly reached his hand out, grabbing a small firefly in his palm. He looked back over his shoulder to look for the real fire.

He blinked and looked the other way.

He did a complete 360 four times just to be safe.

Jirou had to grab onto a tree to keep from falling over. He waited for everything to stop moving until he realized that he had no idea where the heck he was. He did the only thing that he could think of doing, screaming and running for dear life.

*

Atobe was lying in his cabin, casually talking to Kabaji and making a mental list of things he needed to do on the ride home when he heard a mind hurling scream. He immediately sat up so fast it hurt, but he didn't care. He got out of his tent with Kabaji right behind him and ran up to the boys who were at the fire, they had heard it too.

"Who isn't here?" Tezuka asked quickly, trying to stay calm.

Yukimura glanced around. "Jirou."

Atobe's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets as he grabbed a flashlight that was on top of a cooler. He quickly ran into the forest and a second later saw another light. He looked behind his shoulder to see Niou running through the forest heading right towards him.

"Go look somewhere else, I can handle this, I'm going to find him."

Niou laughed as he caught up to Atobe. "Hell no. I saw him go in through here, and Yukimura was screaming for someone to come with you. Better me than some moron. Besides, I owe that guy big time and I can't thank him if he gets chomped on by a bear."

Atobe didn't say anything; he nodded and kept going forward. Both boys called out Jirou's name with no avail as they swiftly ran through the trees. Atobe quickly realized that he was running on pure adrenaline because he was going faster than he ever had before. He felt like he was on fire, like he was going to pass out like he had in that match against Echizen… But his legs kept moving anyways.

Jirou never walked in the dark alone, he always jumped whenever someone touched him in the dark, and he always covered his head with his blankets whenever he woke up during the middle of the night. Atobe had picked up on those things over the years, but he never really made the connection until just now...

Jirou was petrified of the dark.

Both boys thought about turning back once they ran for about five more minutes. That's when they slipped down a steep ledge. Their bodies were riddled with small cuts from the trees and rocks that scraped against their skin. Atobe stood up and fell again and then realized that Niou wasn't getting up.

"Niou!" Atobe yelled as he managed to crawl over to Niou's side. The Trickster was mumbling curses like he had just been shot in the leg as he grabbed his ankle. Atobe forced his hands away and looked away. Niou gasped and winced as he tried not to scream out in pain.

"I don't think it's supposed to bend that way," Atobe mumbled as he tried not to run back to the camp at the instant and force someone to bring in a helicopter.

"Me neither," Niou agreed. He reached around and found his flashlight. He shot it at the mud where they were and noticed an extra set of prints. "You didn't walk anymore did you?" Niou asked just to be sure. Atobe shook his head and Niou pointed his flashlight off in the direction the footprints lead.

Atobe looked down the path and saw there was a small clearing in the brush. Atobe looked back and Niou and shook his head. "No, I'm not going."

Niou's jaw almost fell into the mud. "What the hell do you mean that you're not going?!" Niou looked like a pissed off cat who got stuck out in the rain as he hissed through his clenched teeth.

"Jirou's smart, he'll be fine, but you're ankle-"

"Screw my ankle!" Niou yelled as he managed to hit Atobe in the head with his flashlight. "I'm smarter than him and he likes you, _a lot._ He's been going crazy all week trying to get the courage to tell you and I've sat by and let him twiddle his thumbs. Go and find him. _**Now.**_"

Atobe blinked and just looked at Niou. He knew he was telling the truth, but when the fact that Jirou liked him sunk in, Atobe was up and gone before Niou could even tell him to remember to come and get him. Atobe darted through the forest, dodging the majority of the holes, jumping over most of the rocks, slipping on the moss that covered the rocks he didn't jump. He didn't really think about where he was going, his legs just seemed to take him somewhere.

He paused in front of a small cave that was surrounded by trees and the silent whistle of the wind. Atobe pointed his flashlight inside and slowly walked him. He tried to say "Jirou" but he was too out of breath to do that. He heard a small sob of fear and then he knew he had found him (that or a very depressed bear).

"Jirou?" Atobe finally managed to call out.

He didn't hear anything for a minute. He turned to leave and then he heard, "Atobe?"

Atobe looked around with his flashlight, then he felt two arms wrap around his neck and two small legs wrap around his waist. Atobe dropped his flashlight and put his arms on Jirou's back before he could even think to do so. He felt warm tears on his neck where Jirou's head was.

"God, Atobe, I was so scared. I thought I was gonna die. Please, please don't leave me!_ Please!_"

Atobe grabbed the back of Jirou's shirt tighter. "Calm down, Jirou."

"Whatever you do, don't let go! Please, Atobe, please!!"

"Jirou…" Atobe wasn't sure if he should tell Jirou. Atobe wasn't even sure that Jirou was speaking in his right mind, but he liked the thought of Jirou never leaving him, he liked that a lot. Atobe gently whispered to Jirou that they needed to go and the blonde began to shake, but also began slowly letting go of Atobe. Atobe petted Jirou's head while Jirou tried not to sob anymore.

Jirou walked behind Atobe, grabbing his shirt so hard it was probably painful. They didn't say a word to each other as they made their way through the maze of trees. Eventually they reached where Niou was and saw Marui sitting there with Yukimura. Jirou stretched his head out and peeked by Atobe's shoulders. Niou shot him a smile as Marui and Yukimura helped him up.

Sometime between getting Niou not to wince with every step and Jirou's sobs, Atobe noticed Jirou's grip had loosened. He stopped walking and turned around and looked down at Jirou who looked like a wet kitten. He gently kneeled down and put on hand behind his knees and one on his back. He scooped the boy up like he was a bride and felt the blonde's arms wrap around his neck.

"Watermelon…" Jirou mumbled as he nuzzled his nose into the crook between Atobe's shoulder and neck.

"What?"

Jirou shook his head and closed his eyes as he smiled. "Nothing."

After another minute of silent walking, they made it back to camp and were met by all the other boys who immediately rushed to Niou's side. Atobe slipped through the crowd and found Jirou's tent. He laid the boy down gently and thought he looked like a little kid when he was sleeping. He was so peaceful, so perfect.

Atobe had finished his list for things to do on the way home; talk to Jirou.

*

_There's something about you now  
I can't quite figure out  
Everything she does is beautiful  
Everything she does is right_

*

When Mukahi came bursting into Jirou's tent the Rikkaidai boys nearly lost it. They began tossing whatever they could at the red head, and somehow Jirou found himself without a sleeping bag. He slowly began to gather his things that were so carelessly thrown and just as carelessly toss them back into the tent so he could get packing.

Jirou blinked and looked around and stopped throwing things. "Is this some sort of a sick prank? It's still dark. _Why_ is it still dark?!"

"It's four, of course it's dark. Tezuka wanted everyone to get up. Bleh." Mukahi made a face before going to the next tent. Jirou wanted to smile because Mukahi was somewhat back to his old self, but he couldn't bring himself to do it when he caught site of Atobe talking to Yukimura. He looked away when their eyes locked, but quickly looked back to see if Atobe was still looking at him.

This time he was still looking at him. Jirou turned beat red and looked away as Atobe patted Yukimura on the shoulder and began to walk towards him.

"Hey," Atobe said in his usually tone. Jirou nodded back and looked down, hoping his bangs would hide his blush. Atobe only laughed. "Nothing will hide that blush; it's on your neck already."

Jirou looked up and then noticed that Marui, Jackal, Kirihara, and Niou were no longer in the tent, they were walking over to their captain (well, Niou was limping, leaning on Marui's shoulder at that). Atobe absent mindedly pulled Jirou into the tent and zipped it up behind him with what seemed like nonhuman speed.

"Why-why did you just do that?" Jirou asked as he tried to back away.

Atobe didn't mean to, but his body wasn't listening today. "Are you feeling okay?" Atobe asked, trying to change the subject.

"Huh?" Jirou remembered last night and how he clung to Atobe and what he said, he only blushed more. "Oh, yeah, um, I'm good."

Atobe let out a sigh of relief. He really had been worried about Jirou. Atobe knew that Jirou didn't like doctors, but Atobe wasn't stupid, he remembered how he screamed when Megumi snuck up on him outside last night and that he had a nightlight in his room back at home (he never brought it on trips because he was embarrassed about it).

"That's good."

The air around them grew heavy as the silence became longer. Jirou knew that Atobe was looking into his eyes so he moved his from Atobe's nose up to his own eyes. Something was spoken without words and both boys just looked at each other and nodded in a silent agreement. Jirou's heart was beating out of his chest as Atobe kept looking into his confused eyes. Atobe, parting his lips slightly, gently leaned in, yielding to the soft strength of his kiss that engulfed him, gaining in strength until he found himself wrapped up in him, body, heart, and soul.

Atobe bent back a little and just waited. Jirou bit his lip and looked at Atobe who was also biting his lip. They just looked at each other for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity, and then laughed, another agreement that they just seemed to understand.

"I should've just told you," Jirou thought aloud. He shook his head, knowing he should've just told Atobe and spared himself all the trouble he went through.

Atobe replaced his laughter with a warm smile. "No. _I_ should've told you sooner."

Jirou shrugged one shoulder and tilted his head slightly as he gave Atobe a smile that could give the sun a run for its money. "Yeah, but that doesn't matter now."

Atobe reached out and cupped Jirou's cheek in his hand. He leaned in and slowly said, "You're right, it doesn't," before claiming Jirou's lips as his own again. Atobe felt Jirou's arms wrap around his neck and push him onto his back. Atobe moved his hand from Jirou's cheek and put both of them onto his sides. Jirou smiled and looked down at Atobe as he teasingly pulled away. Atobe pouted like a puppy but Jirou simply laughed and pecked Atobe's nose.

Then the tent came crashing down above them.

Damn tent.

Atobe rolled Jirou off of him and sat up, arms flailing above his head to try and removed the tent. They weren't so sure how, but somehow they managed to get the tent off despite the fact that it had been zippered (they got headaches from thinking about how they did that) and looked up to see Marui, Niou, and Kirihara laughing.

Jirou pouted and grabbed Atobe's arm with both of his hands, pulling him into a one sided hug. He gave a "thank you" smile to Niou who was still leaning against Marui and then Jirou wiggled his eyebrows when he realized Marui's hand was resting on the Trickster's hip. Marui bumped his hip into Niou's, but he only yelped out in pain. Niou switched from Marui's shoulder to Kirihara's and ignored a pleading Marui. The three walked away and then Sanada began to yell about how that show with the tent was not safe.

Please, like Sanada cared if Atobe suffocated in a tent.

Atobe and Jirou looked at each other and then broke out into laughter again. Atobe managed to wiggle his arm out of the blonde's death grip and then stood up. "Come on," Atobe said as he held out his hand from Jirou.

_I must be dreaming, _Jirou thought as he grabbed Atobe by the hand. Jirou leaned his head against Atobe's arm as they walked, not caring how uncomfortable it was or if anyone was looking at them. It didn't matter to him anymore; liking a guy, Atobe and Oshitari, how hard it would be when it all ended. He didn't care because he was surrounded in bliss as they walked.

*

_Cause it's you and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you  
and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to prove  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

*

"Gen," Yukimura mumbled as they walked down a thin, narrow dirt path side-by-side.

Sanada looked over at his friend and frowned. "Are you tired? Do you feel ill? We can stop if you want, I'll just ask Tezuka and –"

Yukimura smiled. "No, I'm fine, really. I was just wondering… why do you want to go to Seigaku so bad? Is Rikkaidai that miserable for you?"

Sanada sighed. He knew this conversation would happen, he just didn't think it would happen when they were surrounded by everyone they had to fight against.

"I don't want to leave. I'm applying to Seigaku and Rikkaidai, Yukimura."

Yukimura furrowed his brow together and looked up at Sanada. "Why would you do that?"

"Rikkaidai's high school exams are hard academically, Seigaku's are more linnet. If I can't get into Rikkaidai on a sports scholarship then I'll probably get into Seigaku academically."

Yukimura couldn't help but smile. Sanada had grown up a lot while he was gone, but he never really did see that. "I see. Well, even if you go to Seigaku, promise me you won't join the tennis team."

Sanada smiled brightly, something he only did in front of Yukimura. "I promise."

"Good. Because, if you did join them, I would have to beat you."

"I have no doubt that you would."

*

Atobe rolled his shoulders before sitting down on the bus. Walking down was probably the hardest thing he ever did. Jirou wouldn't leave his side (he didn't really mind that part), but every ten minutes Niou had to take a break and they were an hour behind schedule.

When Kabaji went to sit next to him he gently stopped him and asked if he could sit in the seat across from him. Of course Kabaji agreed and didn't ask questions when Jirou, who was right behind him, sat right next to Atobe. Atobe unzipped his backpack and pulled out his laptop. Jirou wondered how he got it in there with everything else, carried it through the mountains, and managed not to get a scratch on it.

One by one the other boys boarded the bus, some gave Atobe and Kabaji confused glances, but most people didn't seem to notice or honestly didn't care enough to put in the effort because they were so exhausted.

"Atobe, can I go to bed?" Jirou asked drowsily.

"Yeah, go to bed, I'll be done in a minute so you won't hear my clicking."

Jirou gave a small chuckle. "But you need to click, Atobe, it's why I like you so much; you work so hard, that's good, especially when it comes to me because I'm a lot... of... work… you… kn… ow…" Jirou dosed off towards the end, but Atobe got the message – Jirou is high maintenance. Atobe didn't mind, after all, he is too.

Atobe continued to work for ten minutes after Jirou had fallen asleep. He glanced down and Jirou was drooling slightly with his mouth agate. Atobe shut his laptop and put it back in his bag. He would deal with his hectic life later because right now the only thing on Atobe's mind is the blonde using his shoulder as a pillow. He gently rested his head against Jirou's and for the first time in a long time fell asleep and didn't wake up screaming.

*  
_What day is it?  
And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive_

_

* * *

_

**A/N: This was longest chapter and let me tell you that re-reading this thing to check for mistakes was a bitch. I know the whole confession scene or whatever you want to call it is so cheesy, but **_**helloooo**_** it's a romance story, it ****needs**** to be cheesy. **

**There are so many things that I did not finish (mother, Sakaki, father, Oshitari, school, Mukahi and Hiyoshi, etc) so I'm thinking of writing a sequel, but I might not. I'll decide within the week so stay alerted and what not.**

**But this was definitely the last chapter for "Love's Weird Like That." Oh, and I totally got the name in if you didn't notice...  
**

**So, thanks for reading from front to start and dealing with my random moments!**

**-Lahdolphin  
**


	28. REWRITE

**Love's Weird Like That** is back.

Well, tomorrow, August 30th it will be.

When it's posted tomorrow, I'll update this again and then you'll know it's up.

I hope all of you are as excited as I am for LWLT's comeback.

It's going to _kick ass._

And it's **totally different** – it's new name is **The Love Bug**

Trust me, it's gonna rock your socks.

:)

- Dolphin


	29. THE LOVE BUG

**It's posted.**

Check out my stories to find it, **The Love Bug**.

It's completely different (after the first three chapters).

_You'll **love **it._

Go check it out.

-Dolphin


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